


Midoriya Izuku Dragon Rider

by tireddiver



Category: The Inheritance Cycle - Christopher Paolini, 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia
Genre: BAMF Midoriya Izuku, Bakugou Katsuki is Expelled from U.A. High School, Because it sounded cool in my head, Dragon Rider Midoriya Izuku, F/M, Magic-User Midoriya Izuku, Midoriya Izuku Has a Quirk, Uraraka Ochako is a Good Friend, Well he has Dragon Rider abilities
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-17
Updated: 2020-12-19
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:01:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 64,635
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25322818
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tireddiver/pseuds/tireddiver
Summary: Midoriya is only five years old when he meets someone who changes his life forever. They're really awesome! So why does everyone insist that he's Izuku's quirk?
Relationships: Midoriya Inko/Yagi Toshinori | All Might, Midoriya Izuku & OC, Midoriya Izuku & Saphira, Midoriya Izuku & Uraraka Ochako, Midoriya Izuku/Yaoyorozu Momo
Comments: 442
Kudos: 663





	1. The egg in the woods

**Author's Note:**

> Okay so I know that I have a lot of works going on right now. I need to be writing my other fics. But motivation is a bitch and I wanted to write this. So I did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Italics are thoughts, both telepathic and normal.
> 
> Bold represents the ancient language.

Midoriya Izuku once again found himself crying in the woods behind the park. He had just wanted to play with his friends. But Kacchan had just scoffed at him.

“Come back once you get your quirk you loser _,”_ Kacchan had sneered.

Everyone else had gotten their quirks. He was the only one without one. He just didn’t understand why he didn’t get to have his. They were starting school, real school, next week. If Izuku didn’t have his quirk by then, he was scared of what the others would think. He was scared what that would mean.

Izuku tried to wipe away his tears. He’d always been quick to cry and stopping the tears once they came was all but impossible. He threw on a big All MightTM smile and did his best to laugh, but it sounded more like sobbing.

As he quieted back down, another sound began to mix with the soft sound of his sniffling. Izuku couldn’t figure out which way it was coming from. It was like it existed all around him. Izuku closed his eyes and listened as hard as he could.

The sound reminded Izuku of the songs his mom would hum to him. It was soft and soothing. He found his tears dried and he felt a lot calmer. There were words. Gently spoken as they were Izuku couldn’t make any of them out. They sounded strange and unfamiliar though.

“H-hello?” Izuku called out into the woods around him.

The singing cut off instantly. The sudden silence was startling and Izuku worried he had upset whoever had been out there.

“I-I’m sorry,” he called out again. “I didn’t mean to scare you. I-I’ll just go.”

Izuku turned to head back to the park and his mother. She’d probably been worrying about him anyways. He shouldn’t stress her out anymore than she already was. She wouldn’t tell him what was wrong, but he knew there was something.

_Wait youngling,_ the voice spoke. It still sounded weird. It was as if she had spoken directly into his thoughts. _I am sorry… It has been a long time since anyone has spoken to me…it…surprised me._

“That’s okay,” Izuku responded. He still didn’t know where he was supposed to be looking. He found himself spinning around the trees and looking for any sign of who was speaking. “My name is Midoriya.”

_I am Saphira,_ the voice told him.

“How are you doing this?” Izuku asked, finally admitting that Saphira was not anywhere near him. “Is this your quirk?”

_No,_ Saphira informed him. _It is rather hard to explain._

Izuku pouted. “That’s what grown-ups say when they think I’m too dumb to understand,” he sulked.

Saphira laughed at him. The sound was much deeper than a normal laugh, it vibrated inside his head all funny too.

_I do not think you are dumb young one,_ Saphira assured him. _It is only that my situation will be rather strange for one such as yourself._

“Why?” Izuku asked with a curious tilt of his head.

Saphira huffed a sigh at him. _Come young one,_ she commanded him. _Find me and I will show you._

Images began to fly through Izuku’s mind. Trees and rocks and small paths. All of a sudden it was like he knew the woods better than ever. He knew where to go to find Saphira. Izuku ran off into the woods as fast as he could.

***

Izuku stumbled into the clearing. It had been a lot further than he had thought. The sun was already setting, but he had finally made it. Looking around, Izuku couldn’t help noticing that the clearing was beautiful. It was a circular area with no trees around. The grass had grown lush with the ample access to sunshine and a few flowers had grown up as well.

“Saphira?” Izuku called as he walked further in. He stumbled a little as walked. The ground slopped down towards the center of the clearing gently enough that he hadn’t noticed.

_I am here young one,_ Saphira spoke to him.

“I don’t see you,” Izuku said as his eyes swept the clearing again.

There was something resting in the middle of the clearing. It was nestled in the grass so Izuku hadn’t seen it on his first look around. He made his way over and knelt in front of it.

He found that it was not one, but two things. The first, the larger of the two, was a shimmering green stone. From the little light that did shine on it, Izuku could see a rainbow of other colors flickering across the surface. The second, was a glittering blue gemstone. Its shape was smooth, rounded into a perfect oval. It reminded Izuku of a sapphire, but it was much larger and clearer than any sapphire Izuku had ever seen. It seemed almost to glow.

_Now you see me,_ Saphira chuckled. As she spoke the flickering light that came from within the sapphire seemed to pulse and grow brighter.

“You’re the sapphire?” Izuku gasped.

_In a manner of speaking I suppose,_ Saphira chuckled. _Though this is what I am, this is not all that defines me._

“I don’t understand,” Izuku said with a shake of his head.

Saphira laughed. It wasn’t the mean taunting laugh Kacchan would give him if he admitted that he didn’t understand something. It was like she was laughing more at herself.

_I would be surprised if you did young one,_ Saphira told him. _Even in a world as strange as your own the magic of dragons is not easy to understand._

“D-dragons!?” Izuku exclaimed. He fell back on his butt and into the soft grass. “You’re a dragon!? That’s so cool!!!”

_Thank you young one,_ Saphira chuckled again.

“So then how come you’re in a gem?” Izuku asked nervously. His mom always warned him against asking too many questions, but if Saphira was a dragon then he really wanted answers.

_This gem is my heart,_ Saphira told him. She didn’t sound upset at his question which helped Izuku calm back down. _My body died long ago, in a battle unlike any that had come before it. Though my body fell, my heart survived. I have spent many eons as you see me. And when the time came that a guard was needed for a desperate mission, I was chosen._

“A guard?” Izuku repeated. His eyes flickered to the stone that Saphira rested with. “For the stone?”

_I see that I was not wrong, you are not dumb,_ Saphira teased. _Yes, young one, I am here to guard the egg and ensure its mission is completed._

“But how can you guard the stone if you’re trapped in your heart?” Izuku wondered.

_I am not so helpless as you might think,_ Saphira told him. It felt like she was smirking. _None may find this place unless I allow them. Even if someone were strong enough to ignore my protections then they would find themselves facing my wrath._

Izuku didn’t need to ask if that would be enough a second time. The emotion and power that Saphira put into her words were such that Izuku had no more doubts.

“S-so what is its mission?” Izuku asked as he looked to the stone. It was a desperate attempt to change the subject.

_He must find his rider,_ Saphira told him. Her voice had regained its gentle nature, for which Izuku would be eternally grateful. Processing her words though, Izuku blinked.

“He?” Izuku realized.

_Yes, young one,_ Saphira confirmed. _It is not a stone as you call it. It is an egg. A dragon’s egg. And the wyrmling who sleeps inside is ready to hatch, but he is waiting._

“For his rider,” Izuku repeated. “A human?”

_Perhaps,_ Saphira mused with a mental shrug. Izuku didn’t fully understand how he could tell what she was doing. _There are others, but they seem to be…absent from this world._

“How will you know when you find the right one?” Izuku asked. “How does he know?”

_He will decide in his own time,_ Saphira told him. _All I can do is listen and wait._

“Wow,” Izuku whispered under his breath.

_Indeed,_ Saphira laughed. _Now young one, would you like to see if he would accept you?_

“W-wha!?” Izuku screamed. “Me! But but-”

_It is why I brought you here young one,_ Saphira cut him off with a gentle smile, Izuku again had no idea how he knew that she was smiling. _There is something to be said for destiny. Your presence in these woods might be coincidence, or it might be fate._

“What do I do?” Izuku asked in wonder.

_Place your hand against the egg,_ Saphira coached him. _Then we shall see._

Izuku crept forward and once again leaned over Saphira’s heart and the egg. The egg was huge now that he knew what it was. It was maybe fifteen centimeters tall and ten wide. It would take both hands to lift it if he tried. Instead, he took a deep steadying breath and placed his hand against the egg as Saphira had told him.

The first thing Izuku noticed about the egg was the warmth. It felt like he had placed his hand on the outside of the oven. Its surface felt incredible hard to the touch too, but Izuku could feel scale like ridges beneath his palm.

“H-hello,” Izuku stammered. If there was a dragon inside, he didn’t want to be rude. “M-my name is Midoriya Izuku. I hope we can get along.”

Izuku waited. The wind rustling in the trees was the only sound as he looked for any sign from the egg. Nothing happened though. Izuku felt his heart clench in disappointment. He sighed in defeat. Of course, the dragon wouldn’t choose someone like him. Why would it?

Izuku was about to remove his hand from the egg when he felt it shift beneath his fingers. His eyes lasered back in on the green surface as he watched it shake once again. A crack sounded out and a split appeared beneath his palm. Izuku removed his hand on reflex.

Just as his hand pulled back a head burst through the egg. The dragon was the same lush green color as the egg. Its head was so tiny, no bigger than a walnut, but he was beautiful. Izuku stared and the dragon stared back at him, emerald eyes meeting forest green ones.

The dragon crawled his way out of the egg. Izuku was too fascinated to look away. The dragon’s four legs were each as thick as its slender neck, which wasn’t more than a few centimeters. Tiny spikes descended his back, each one so thin that Izuku could hardly see them. The dragon’s wings were furled up against its sides, but the slightly lighter color of the webbing was still visible.

“H-hello,” Izuku stammered.

He reached his hand out while keeping palm up, the same way his mom had taught him to do when he wanted to pet a dog or a cat. The dragon leaned its head forward and sniffed at his palm. After a moment he placed his nose in the center of Izuku’s hand.

The pain was instant. It was like the time he touched the stove, but it was so much worse. The burning was paired with another sensation, one like he had dunked the rest of his arm in ice water. It only lasted a moment, but Izuku screamed regardless.

He clutched his palm close to himself, the tears falling as he cradled the burnt appendage.

He felt a strong sense of worry. It was strange. It was like he was feeling the emotion, but that it wasn’t his own. Or maybe that it didn’t start with him? Looking up he found the dragon watching him, far closer than it had been before.

The dragon leaned forward and licked his cheek. The tiny tongue tickled as it flicked across his cheek.

“I’m okay,” Izuku sniffled.

 _Well done young one,_ Saphira commended him.

Izuku startled. He had forgotten about the other dragon. The green dragon seemed to jump too, its head snapping towards the blue gem where it lay on the ground by its now empty egg.

“T-thank you,” Izuku said remembering his manners. “What was that?”

 _That was the bond,_ Saphira told him. Izuku looked down at his hand. There was now a silvery mark where he had felt the burning. It was a spiraling thing with ridges along the outside. It was right in the center of his palm. _The mark is the gedwëy ignasia, and it is both the mark of your bond and your mark as dragon rider._

“S-so what now?” Izuku asked.

 _Now?_ Saphira paused as though she were thinking about it herself. _Now, we shall go with you._

***

“Mom!” Izuku cried as he ran out of the woods and back into the park where he had last seen his mother. It was late now. The sun had gone down a while ago. The park was lit by the flashing of red lights though.

Izuku saw his mom standing beside a man in some kind of blue uniform. She looked like she’d been crying.

“Mom!” Izuku called again as he ran towards her.

Midoriya Inko, Izuku’s mother, looked up and saw Izuku running at her waving excitedly.

“Izuku!” Inko cried hysterically. She threw herself at her son and scooped him up into her arms. “Where have you been!? I was so worried! Are you okay!?”

Izuku looked up into his mom’s face to see that while the tears were still streaming down her face, she wore a stern expression.

“I’m sorry mama,” Izuku laughed as he buried his face in her shoulder. “But I had the most amazing thing happen!”

“Wha-?” Inko wondered.

“Young man,” the man next to them interrupted her. “You shouldn’t run off from your mother. She was very worried about you and as a result we had to waste our time when nothing was wrong.”

“Now wait just a minute,” Inko demanded of the man, who Izuku could now tell was a police officer. “Waste your time? Just what exactly do you think you job is?”

“It’s not chasing after little boys whose mothers can’t keep them in line,” the officer complained as he jabbed a finger at Izuku.

Before either Izuku or Inko could voice their complaints at the officer, the dragon snaked its head over Izuku’s shoulder and snapped at the offending finger.

“What the fuck!” the officer exclaimed as he snatched his hand away.

“Izuku?” Inko asked weakly as the dragon crawled its way off of Izuku’s back and curled up around his neck.

“I was trying to tell you!” Izuku exclaimed happily, his anger at the officer instantly forgotten as he remembered his day. “I met a dragon!”

“I-I can see that,” Inko nodded weakly. “But umm…”

Izuku looked up at her with a big smile and the words died in her throat. He could see she was worrying about something.

“What is it mama?” Izuku asked curiously.

“N-nothing Izuku,” Inko said with a shake of her head. She plastered a big smile to her face. “It must be a part of your quirk sweetheart. It just took me by surprise is all.”

“It’s not a quirk mama,” Izuku told her.

Inko gave Izuku a curious look before she shook her head. “Well, we’ll just have to go to the doctor and see what he thinks then,” she sighed.

***

Izuku was laying in his bed that night with the dragon curled up on his chest. His mom had made an appointment with a quirk doctor in the morning. His mom hadn’t listened to him when he’d tried to explain everything. She just smiled and nodded the whole time he talked. When he was done, she had ruffled his hair and said something about the imagination of children.

Izuku turned his head, careful not to disturb the sleeping dragon, and looked at Saphira’s heart where he had placed it on his nightstand. The light that glimmered within still shone and pulsed as he watched it.

“Saphira?” he whispered.

_Yes, little one?_ Saphira responded instantly.

“What if no one believes me?” he asked her.

_Then no one believes you,_ Saphira answered.

“Is that okay?” Izuku asked. “I mean, you’re dragons.”

_This world is a strange one Midoriya,_ Saphira mused. _But it is not the way of dragons to worry about the views of others. The only thing that matters is that you understand the truth of the bond between you and him. You belong to each other, but neither of you are the others master. You are partners bound together in a relationship of give and take._

Izuku thought about that as he stroked the dragon’s back, careful to avoid the needle-sharp spikes. “Does he have a name?” Izuku wondered aloud.

_Not yet,_ Saphira laughed. _You have not named him._

“I get to do it?” Izuku asked.

_In a manner of speaking,_ Saphira confirmed. _Though he will have some say in it. He will let you know if he dislikes what you come up with._

“Did your rider name you?” Izuku asked.

Saphira was quiet for a moment. Izuku watched as the light emanating from Saphira’s heart seemed to flicker. Izuku wondered if he’d get an answer.

_Yes, young one,_ Saphira confirmed though her voice was much more solemn now. _It took him several tries. He was not the most eloquent of humans when we first met._

“You sound like you miss him,” Izuku whispered.

_Every day my heart calls out for him,_ Saphira sighed. _The bond between a dragon and their rider is unlike any other. The two of you shall become one and then you will understand._

“I’m sorry,” Izuku said sadly.

_Do not let my sorrow weigh on your heart young one,_ Saphira told him. _I have come to peace with Eragon’s passing. And it will be a long time before either of you will come to know my pain. For now, you should sleep. In the morning we shall worry about his name and the things to come._

Izuku let his head sink back into the pillow and continued to stroke the dragon’s back. He thought of everything Saphira had said. Everything about this was so strange, but he could not find it in himself to worry about that. He felt like it was the start of something. He felt excited.

***

_Good morning young one,_ Saphira’s voice greeted him as he opened his eyes.

It was too bright and too early. With a groan he rolled over in his bed. He could afford five more minutes. A sharp pain on his ear had him bolting upright.

“Ow!” he yelped as he grabbed his ear.

Izuku looked back down at his pillow and found the dragon watching him from beside where his head had been. Forest green eyes sparkling with intelligence looked at him. There was something in them that Izuku couldn’t quite recognize. He felt a sudden sense of hunger, but it felt strange again. Combined with the fact that he knew _he_ wasn’t hungry; he came to a startling realization.

“Is this _your_ hunger?” Izuku asked the dragon.

The hunger grew stronger. Izuku looked to Saphira’s heart where she sat on his nightstand. Her glow was more muted than he had seen it before.

“Well let’s go get you something to eat,” Izuku sighed. He got out of bed and the dragon scaled his pajamas and curled around his neck once again.

Izuku walked out of his room and to the kitchen where he found his mom placing two bowls on the table.

“Great timing honey,” Inko laughed. “I was just about to come get you.”

Izuku sat down in front of his bowl. Breakfast wasn’t anything fancy, it never really was in the Midoriya household. It was an egg over a bowl of rice. Izuku cut off a piece of the egg with his chopsticks and held it up to the dragon. The dragon took a sniff before his jaws lashed out and devoured the small bite in an instant.

“Izuku, sweety,” Inko voiced. Izuku looked up at his mom to find her staring at him with concern in her eyes. “Should you really be feeding it?”

“He was hungry,” Izuku shrugged groggily.

He cut off another bite of egg and gave it to the dragon. He ended up feeding the entire egg to the dragon before it scampered off of his shoulder and onto the table. He watched as the dragon as it sat on the table and began cleaning its claws with its tongue.

Inko huffed as she put her own egg in Izuku’s bowl before returning to the kitchen to make herself another.

“Are you ready to come up with your name?” Izuku asked curiously as he took his first bite of egg.

The dragon looked at him with a tilt of his head.

“Well I feel bad just calling you dragon,” Izuku explained. “Saphira said we should come up with it together.”

Izuku felt a sense of excited curiosity, a lot like how he felt when he saw a new hero. He took it as confirmation that the dragon was ready.

“You’re such a pretty color I thought we could call you after that,” Izuku told the dragon. The positive emotions that rolled off the dragon made him smile. “Okay, then how do you feel about Forest?”

The dragon gave an indignant huff.

“Guess not,” Izuku sighed. “Well your scales shine like little gemstones but they’re a lot lighter than emeralds. What about Jade?”

The dragon raised its head a little higher at that. It seemed to bask in not only the praise but in the name as well.

_Seems to be a good fit,_ Saphira’s voice rang through his mind.

Izuku spewed rice across the table. His mother, who had returned only moments gave him an exasperated look.

“Are you okay Izuku?” she asked. “What happened?”

“Just swallowed wrong,” Izuku coughed. “Sorry.”

Izuku got up and ran to the kitchen for a paper towel to clean up. Jade hopped after him, launching onto and climbing up his sleeve as he left the room.

“You two are gonna be the death of me,” Izuku muttered with a shake of his head.

The sound of two very different laughs rang through his mind. Izuku found he couldn’t help but smile himself.

***

“Well I can honestly say that your son has the strangest quirk I’ve ever seen,” the doctor laughed. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say it wasn’t a quirk at all.”

“What do you mean doctor?” Inko asked as she put one arm around Izuku. He held Jade in his lap as the two adults spoke as though he wasn’t in the room.

“Well from what I can tell your son is quirkless,” the doctor told her. “Has the toe joint and all our tests indicate a lack of activation of his quirk factor. But between the dragon, the mark on his hand, and the clear connection between the two of them there’s no denying that this is his quirk.”

“So what happens now?” Inko asked.

“Well we’ll mark him down as having a companion quirk I suppose,” the doctor shrugged. “It doesn’t seem to have wrought any changes besides the mark itself. We’ll have to keep an eye on him to know for sure, but I doubt we’ll see anything. This type of quirk rarely changes much after its manifestation.”

Inko sighed in relief. “So the dragon isn’t going to grow?” Inko asked hopefully.

“Probably not,” the doctor shook his head. “It might grow a little, but more than likely it will stay proportional with your son.”

Izuku wanted to speak up. But each time he’d tried to explain that he had found Jade in an egg and not through some sort of psychic manifestation they just wrote him off. He doubted they wanted to hear his thoughts on Jade’s growth. He was also still coming to terms that the doctor just told him he wouldn’t be getting a quirk at all. He had Jade though, and he thought Jade was cooler than any quirk.

“Seeing as your son is unable to _de_ -summon the dragon, I’ll write a letter that can be filed with the police for a permit allowing it to accompany your son in public,” the doctor said as he wrote something down on his clipboard. “It’ll take a few minutes to get all the information down. I’ll have one of the nurses bring it to you and then you’ll be all set.”

“Thank you, doctor,” Inko said as she rose from her seat to bow. “That is very kind of you. You’ve been a great help.”

“And if anything else changes please feel free to come back and we can take another look,” the doctor told her. He left the room without a single word spoken to Izuku.

***

The changes started the next day. The first change was rather simple really, Jade began to fly. Izuku had known it was only a matter of time, Saphira had told him stories of her flying, but it still came as a surprise when he walked out of the bathroom to a flying green lizard slamming into his face.

His mom hadn’t seemed too bothered by the change. At least not until Jade had flown into the fridge when her back was turned. Jade had made it through two thirds of their pork before she’d caught him. After that she’d insisted that the dragon hunt if he were hungry.

Each night Izuku opened his window and Jade would go hunting. Jade would send Izuku images and memories of the kills that he was proud of, including several large birds of prey that he had caught at the park where they had met. Jade was eating very well. Which may have caused the next change.

Despite what the doctor had told Inko, Jade was growing. Not only was Jade growing, but he was growing fast. By the end of that first week he was more than double the size he had been when he had hatched. He was still incredibly slender, but he already weighed enough that Izuku couldn’t pick him up anymore. Inko was taking this less well.

“He’s so big,” she had commented at dinner one night. Jade was resting his head on Izuku’s lap as the boy ate his dinner.

“I know,” Izuku nodded proudly. He scratched the base of one of Jade’s spikes. “He’s already over a meter long from nose to tail!”

“But the doctor said he wasn’t going to grow,” Inko murmured.

“Jade’s a dragon mom,” Izuku groaned. “He’s just young. He’s gonna grow lots and lots!”

Izuku’s words sunk in and Inko’s eyes went wide. “H-how big do you think dragon’s get Izuku?”

“Hmmm,” Izuku thought about what Saphira had told him. Dragons were immortal, they grew their entire lives too. “I don’t know but probably as big as a house, easy.”

Inko seemed to pale at that.

“Is everything okay mama?” Izuku asked with a tilt of his head. He took another bite of Katsudon as he watched his mom.

“F-fine honey,” Inko stammered. “I just need to think some things through. Don’t worry.”

“Okay then,” Izuku nodded. He finished his Katsudon and stood up. “I’m gonna head to bed. I’ll see you in the morning!”

Izuku dashed away, Jade right behind him. They left his mother staring after them, neither really noticing the way her eyebrows knit together in concern.

Izuku hurriedly got ready for bed and got into his room. He looked at Saphira’s heart again. She hadn’t spoken to him in a few days and he was starting to get worried. The light that glimmered within her heart was dimmer than it had first been too.

“What if she doesn’t wake up?” Izuku asked Jade.

The dragon placed his head in Izuku’s lap. Izuku felt Jade’s presence in his mind. He shared Izuku’s worry, but he had a hope that was missing from Izuku’s thoughts.

“I’m sure your right,” Izuku sniffled. “I’m just so scared. What if she’s sick?”

Jade huffed at him, Izuku could feel he was offended.

“Dragons can get sick too Jade,” Izuku told him as he shoved his head away.

Izuku knew that he only succeeded because Jade let him. Jade had proven that he was more than strong enough to overpower the five-year-old boy on multiple occasions.

_I appreciate your concerns young ones,_ Saphira’s voice rang out. She sounded tired. _But I promise you have nothing to worry about._

“Saphira!” Izuku nearly shouted as he snatched her heart off of the nightstand. The light within had brightened, if only a little bit. “You’re okay!”

Jade added his agreement mentally, a satisfaction radiating within Izuku’s mind.

_I am fine,_ Saphira assured them. _I have been awake for a long-time young ones. It is not a dragon’s nature to remain watchful as I have done over the centuries since we came to this land. I need to rest, to recover now that you have been found._

“Oh,” Izuku murmured. “I’m sorry if we woke you.”

_You did not,_ Saphira laughed. _Tired as I am, I still have a responsibility._

“A responsibility?” Izuku asked.

_You two are to be riders in this land,_ Saphira sighed. _I will have to see to your training. The next time I awaken we will begin. Be ready._

And just as quickly as she’d awoken, Izuku felt Saphira’s presence recede and the glow from her heart dim once again.

***

Izuku’s first day of school came two days after Saphira’s promise of training. The female dragon had not made any indication of waking again. So Izuku was instead trying to focus on school. He was incredibly nervous, but the note from the doctor had gotten him a permit that allowed Jade to stay with Izuku 24/7. It didn’t dispel his fears, but it helped him face the day.

Izuku’s mom dropped them off at the front gate of the school.

“Be good Izuku,” Inko reminded him as she knelt down. “And keep Jade out of trouble. Okay?”

“Okay mama,” Izuku nodded. “I’ll try!”

“That’s my sweet boy,” Inko smiled. She stood up and Izuku turned to head through the gates.

Other students, most of which Izuku didn’t recognize, were heading into the school too. A lot of them would point at Jade when they saw him trailing behind Izuku. Excited whispers followed them as they made their way through the courtyard, into the building, and all the way to their classroom.

Izuku was starting to feel horribly self-conscious with all the attention he and Jade were receiving. None of the other students could pass by without staring now. Izuku hurried up and opened the door. He stepped inside to find the teacher directing a student to their desk.

She turned and smiled when she saw Izuku waiting in the doorway.

“Well come on in,” she called. “I’m Mrs. Tanaka. I’m going to be your teacher for the year.”

“H-hello,” Izuku stammered. He gave a small bow, Jade copying the motion behind him. “My name is Midoriya Izuku and this is Jade.”

Mrs. Tanaka eyes widened as she took in the dragon that was half hidden behind Izuku. She had to shake herself out of a daze before she continued. “I see,” Mrs. Tanaka said. “The principal warned me you had a companion quirk. Will he be okay sitting beside your desk?”

“Yes ma’am,” Izuku nodded.

Mrs. Tanaka led Izuku over to a desk by the window. He put his bag down and sat in the seat, Jade situating himself underneath the seat itself, his head wrapping around to rest in Izuku’s lap. Izuku smiled down at him and began scratching him beneath the jaw.

“Deku?” a familiar voice asked in shock. “What the fuck is that?”

Izuku looked up to find the Bakugo Katsuki, Kacchan, standing next to Mrs. Tanaka, who looked appalled at his language. But Kacchan had always been like that. He took after his mom, Izuku’s Aunt Mitsuki, who cursed even worse than he did.

“Hey Kacchan!” Izuku greeted him with a smile. “This is Jade. He’s my dragon.”

“How the fuck did you get a dragon?” Kacchan snapped.

“Bakugo,” Mrs. Tanaka scolded the boy. “While I understand Midoriya’s quirk is surprising that is no excuse for that kind of language. If you curse in my classroom again, I will have no choice but to send you to the principal’s office.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” Kacchan waved her off. He stomped past Izuku and towards the seat she had been leading him to.

Izuku felt a wave of displeasure roll through his mind. He looked down at Jade, but the dragon was still resting there with his eyes closed. Whatever had bothered him apparently wasn’t enough to get him to move away from Midoriya’s scratches.

A few more students trickled in, Mrs. Tanaka showing each one to their seat. Once every desk was filled, she moved to the front of the room.

“Hello everyone,” she addressed them. “Allow me to introduce myself once again. My name is Mrs. Tanaka and I will be your teacher for the year. I hope we’re all going to get along swimmingly. We’re going to start the day with introductions. You’ll all come up, one at a time, and introduce yourselves. You can tell us something fun about yourself too.”

As the students went up a pattern was instantly clear. Every student who went up gave their name and their quirk. No one offered anything else as their fun fact. There were a lot of really cool quirks in the class. Though no one else seemed quite as excited as Izuku was. Only a few kids really got more than one or two comments on their quirks.

When Kacchan went up, he gave a demonstration of his quirk. The loud popping and bright display earned him a scowl from Mrs. Tanaka but more comments than anyone else had received from the class. They all loved it.

Finally, it was Izuku’s turn. He walked up to the front of the class and did his best not to shake from nervousness. He felt Jade nuzzle into his hand. It helped, if only a little.

“M-my name is Midoriya Izuku,” Izuku introduced himself. “This is my dragon Jade.”

“What’s your quirk?” One of the other kids called out.

“Umm,” Izuku hesitated.

“Jade is Midoriya’s quirk,” Mrs. Tanaka jumped in to explain. “He’s what’s called a companion quirk.”

Several voices began whispering around the classroom. Izuku felt negative emotion spike through him once again. This time when he turned to Jade, he found him looking down at the ground. Izuku felt an instant his stomach drop.

“I-it’s more complicated than that,” Izuku shook his head.

“I’m afraid we need to move on Midoriya,” Mrs. Tanaka told him with a gentle smile. “Maybe another time.”

She shooed Izuku back to his seat before he got a chance to explain.

The rest of the students went up and introduced themselves. Izuku found he couldn’t pay attention. Jade had placed his head back in Izuku’s lap, but he refused to look up at the boy. Izuku could feel the tears pricking at his eyes.

Saphira had said that dragons don’t concern themselves with the opinions of others. All that mattered was Izuku and Jade’s bond. Which meant that it was Izuku that Jade was mad at, didn’t it? He hated the thought that he had upset Jade. It made his stomach tighten into a knot that he just wanted to go away.

“Wonderful,” Mrs. Tanaka smiled as the last student returned to their seat. “Now we have just enough time to go over some Kanji before we head outside for recess.”

***

Izuku and Jade were the last ones in the classroom. Mrs. Tanaka had led the others outside to the playground. Izuku still hadn’t gotten out of his seat. He needed to speak to Jade.

“I’m sorry Jade,” Izuku said. He could feel the tears that he had fought away earlier begin pouring down his face. “I shouldn’t let them talk about you that way.”

Jade lifted his head out of Izuku’s lap, his forest green eyes looking at Izuku’s sadly. Izuku felt the dissatisfaction Jade was stewing in.

“I’ll do better,” Izuku promised. “I know you aren’t just a quirk.”

Jade rolled his eyes at Izuku.

“What?!” Izuku gasped defensively. He was apologizing!

Jade fixed him with a very pointed look that had Izuku shrinking in on himself.

“Is that not what’s wrong?” Izuku asked nervously. What else could it have been? What had he done?

Jade huffed at him. He lowered his head and pushed the top of it into Izuku’s chest. _Mine,_ a voice rumbled in Izuku’s mind. It was soft and firm, and it made Izuku’s skin tingle to hear.

Izuku was left utterly stunned. He couldn’t stop staring at Jade. “You spoke to me,” he whispered.

Jade rolled his eyes at Izuku once again.

“How long could you do that?!” Izuku exclaimed.

Jade crawled out from under Izuku’s seat and made his way towards the door. About halfway he brought his head back around to look at Izuku, who was still staring dumbfounded after him. Jade huffed once before turning his head back and continuing towards the door.

“W-wait!” Izuku called after him. He practically launched himself out of his seat to follow.

Izuku caught up to Jade in the hall and the two of them headed out to the playground together. Mrs. Tanaka seemed shocked when Izuku walked out the door. After a quick excuse about him using the restroom Izuku and Jade were sent to join the others.

They were almost instantly surrounded by the other kids, all of whom had questions.

“Can I ride him?” A boy with metal hair asked.

“He isn’t big enough to ride yet,” Izuku told him with a shake of his head.

“Can he breathe fire?” Yelled the girl who didn’t have to blink.

“Not yet,” Izuku said with another shake of his head.

“So basically, you got yourself an overgrown iguana,” Kacchan called out.

“Hey!” Izuku exclaimed as Jade snarled from beside him. Several students backed away from the dragon.

“What a shitty quirk,” Kacchan sneered. “It can’t even do anything.”

“Shut up!” Izuku screamed. Jade barred his teeth at Kacchan, but the boy didn’t seem to care about either of them.

“Come on guys,” Kacchan said as he spun around. “Let’s go play heroes where you can see a _real_ quirk in action.”

Several of the boys followed Kacchan as he stormed away. The crowd around Izuku, even those that didn’t follow Kacchan, dispersed too. Izuku was left all alone with Jade.

“Don’t listen to them Jade,” Izuku murmured as he hugged the dragon’s neck.

Jade just huffed and nuzzled his face into Izuku’s shoulder. Izuku felt Jade trying to send comforting emotions to Izuku, but Jade’s own anger was bleeding through.

The rest of recess, after they’d both calmed down, Izuku spent teaching Jade all the words he knew. He had no idea how much Jade could talk, but he was only a week old so he figured he could help. If the curiosity Izuku could feel through their link was any indication, then Jade was interested. Jade listened intently to everything Izuku told him, but he didn’t speak to Izuku again.

After that, the school day was fairly simple. Mrs. Tanaka called them back inside and they learned multiplication tables and about the origin of quirks. Time flew by, and before Izuku even realized it was the end of the day, he was headed outside to wait for his mom.

“That wasn’t so bad,” Izuku chuckled as he and Jade looked around the gathered adults. “What did you think of our first day of school?”

Jade huffed at him and rolled his eyes.

“Come on you were just gonna sleep at home too,” Izuku teased him.

Jade just bumped his head into his hip, causing Izuku to laugh at him.

Izuku couldn’t find his mom in the crowd outside the gate, so he walked back towards the school to wait for her. Once he was through the gate, he heard the telltale sound of Kacchan’s explosions.

Izuku turned his head towards the noise and found Kacchan, and two other boys from their class, all standing over a boy Izuku didn’t recognize. When Kacchan raised his hand to smack the boy on the floor, Izuku’s body reacted.

Izuku shoved Kacchan away from the boy, both hands smacking into his shoulders. Kacchan stumbled back several steps, arms flailing everywhere to keep himself from falling on his butt.

“What are you doing Kacchan?!” Izuku screamed at his friend.

“What the hell Deku?” Kacchan seethed.

“You were being mean!” Izuku yelled back. Jade pressed against his side, further blocking Kacchan from the boy he had been attacking. “You can’t use your quirk to hurt somebody Kacchan, that’s what villains do!”

“What the fuck did you just call me?” Kacchan asked angrily. His palms were popping with small explosions. “I was putting this quirkless freak in his place, but it looks like I need to remind you too! You’re all beneath me!”

Kacchan lunged forward as he yelled, his palm reaching forward to blow Izuku away. Izuku spread his arms wide, protecting the boy behind him from the blast. He closed his eyes and tried to brace himself. But the hit never came.

Izuku peaked through his eyelids and saw a wall of green scales before him. Jade had jumped between Izuku and Kacchan. He was standing on his hind legs so that he towered over all of them. His wings were spread wide, flapping with so much power that Izuku’s hair was ruffling. When he slammed back down onto all fours, Izuku could see that the wind had knocked Kacchan back several steps and knocked his friends on the ground.

“What?” Kacchan sneered. “Gonna hide behind your little pet?”

“He’s not a pet!” Izuku snapped. “And we’re not gonna let you hurt anybody! Because that’s what heroes do!”

“Like you could ever be a hero,” Kacchan laughed. “You might as well be quirkless without your little lizard.”

“So what?” Izuku asked angrily. “Who cares!? God everybody is so obsessed with quirks! Well if having a quirk makes somebody like you then I don’t want one!”

“Ha!” Kacchan barked. “Spoken like a true quirkless loser.”

Jade snarled angrily at Kacchan’s words. His displeasure clear through Izuku’s mental connection with him. He bared his teeth, razor sharp and a half an inch long.

Kacchan took a hesitant step backwards, eyeing Jade wearily.

“Whatever,” he huffed. He turned around and stomped past his friends who were still cowering on the ground. When they saw their last line of protection was gone, they scrambled after him.

Izuku turned around to help the boy he had been protecting. He was surprised to find that the boy had run off.

“Oh well,” Izuku sighed. “At least he didn’t get hurt.”

Jade huffed beside him.

“What?” Izuku asked as he turned to face him.

Jade tilted his head to the side and looked at Izuku curiously. With a roll of his eyes he turned around and began walking towards the gate again.

“Hey wait!” Izuku called as he chased after the dragon. “What is it?”

***

That night at dinner they were having Katsudon again. He loved his mom’s Katsudon. She couldn’t cook a whole lot of food, but she knew how to make Katsudon like a pro. As he was digging in his mom was just watching him.

“Izuku,” she began, but she paused and took a deep breath. “Izuku honey we’re moving.”

Izuku looked up, a little surprised. “Why mama?” he asked.

“Well sweetie, if you’re right and Jade is still growing then he’s not going to fit in the apartment much longer,” she explained. “We’re going to need someplace with more room.”

“Okay,” Izuku nodded. “That makes sense.”

Inko bit at her lip. “I found a place I think might work,” she told him. “It’s a house so it’ll be a lot more spacious. It’s on a big lot so you’ll have lots of room to play with him, and it’s right up against a forest too so he’ll be able to hunt for food.”

“That sounds great mama!” Izuku exclaimed excitedly. He was bouncing in his seat now.

“It’s a bit far away,” Inko warned him seriously. “You wouldn’t be able to continue at Aldera Elementary.”

“That’s okay mama,” Izuku said. “I didn’t really make any friends yet.”

“If you’re sure,” Inko sighed. “I’ll put the offer down in the morning.”

“When would we be moving?” Izuku asked. He wanted to see the new place!

“As soon as possible Izuku,” Inko told him. She eyed Jade’s head, still resting in Izuku’s lap. It was about the size of a pear now. “I don’t want Jade to get so big he’s accidently destroying things in the apartment.”

“Yay!” Izuku cheered.

***

As soon as possible turned out to be the day after next. Inko kept Izuku home to help her pack. The two of them put everything in boxes as quick as they could. They loaded it all into a truck that Inko had rented to help with the move. The only thing left in the apartment at the end of that day was a pair of futons that the two slept on that night.

The drive out to the new house took a few hours. It was on the other side of the prefecture, away from the big cities. The houses started getting further and further apart as they drove. By the time they reached the new house, the houses were so far apart that they couldn’t see any of their neighbors.

The house itself was two stories. It looked a little old, its light blue paint chipping in a few places, but it didn’t look like it was falling apart. It was in the middle of a big field with only a big red barn behind it. Further back was a line of trees that must have marked the forest his mom told him about.

“This is so cool!” Izuku exclaimed as he strained against his seat belt to get a better look.

“I’m glad you like it Izuku,” Inko laughed at him.

“Jade look,” Izuku said as he pointed to the trees. “There’s the forest! I bet you can hunt all kinds of stuff in there!”

Jade, who was currently wrapped entirely around him, raised his head, and looked to the trees. He seemed to think on Izuku’s words before curling back up again.

He still hadn’t spoken to Izuku since that moment in the classroom. It was honestly a little frustrating at times, but Izuku’s ability to feel his emotions helped him understand Jade most of the time.

Saphira too had been silent. He worried about her, but at least now he knew she was just resting. He hoped she wouldn’t mind the move. Hopefully, it would be a good thing for her too.

Izuku sprinted out of the car the moment they were parked. Jade leapt out right behind him, taking instantly to the air. Izuku chased after him as they ran around and looked at everything.

The house had lots of windows, a few of which had cracks running through them. There was only one door on the front, but there were two on the back of the house: one normal door and then a big glass sliding one.

The barn had only one door, but it was huge. The barn was the same height as the house, and the door was easily taller than the entire first story of the house. It was painted a dull rusty red color, the paint chipping even worse than the house, but it gave the building a kind of rustic charm that Izuku loved.

“Izuku,” Inko hollered from the car. “Come help me unload.”

“Coming mama!” Izuku called back as he raced over.

Together they started unloading the moving truck. Inko showed Izuku which room was gonna be his, it was about the same size as his old one, but its window was much bigger. Izuku ran back to the car after he’d put his first box down. Inko was moving around boxes in the back, sorting them into different stacks.

“Where does this one go mama?” Izuku asked as he bent down to pick up another.

Inko looked up at him. “Oh Izuku, that one’s gonna be heavy,” Inko warned him.

“Really?” Izuku asked as he picked it up. “It doesn’t seem so bad.”

Inko watched Izuku with wide eyes as he brought the box over to her.

“What’s wrong mama?” Izuku asked with a tilt of his head.

“N-nothing sweety,” Inko stammered. “You’re just stronger than I thought. My little boy is growing into a strong young man.”

Izuku smiled widely at that. “Thanks mama!” He exclaimed. “So where should I take it?”

“Take it to the kitchen for me please,” Inko told him.

Izuku nodded and ran off with the box. Together they quickly unloaded the truck. Once they were done, Inko got started unpacking and Izuku went back to exploring with Jade. The two of them spent a lot of time playing in the woods. The densely packed trees made a great place to explore.

***

It was over a week after their move before Saphira awoke again. In that time Jade had doubled in size again. He was now over two meters long and his body was larger than a big dog’s. His mom had forbidden Jade from even trying to fly in the house, not that Jade could have spread his wings to their full length inside anymore. Izuku found he could comfortably sit on Jade’s shoulders now, but if he sat there for too long then his legs started to chafe.

_Hello young ones,_ Saphira’s voice rang through Izuku’s mind as he laid down for the day.

“Saphira!” Izuku yelled as he pushed off of Jade to sit up straight. They’d switched around the last few nights, Izuku using Jade as a pillow instead of the other way around. Jade’s scales were hard, but the warmth was really nice.

Jade huffed at the sudden loss of weight.

“How are you feeling?” Izuku asked her.

_Better,_ Saphira chuckled. She seemed to think about something for a moment before she asked, _Are we not in the same place?_

“My mom thought it was a good idea to move somewhere bigger for Jade” Izuku explained.

_A wise decision to make,_ Saphira complimented. _Though this room will not work for much longer._

“It won’t?” Izuku asked sadly. He was only just starting to get use to sleeping in the new space.

_No,_ Saphira confirmed. _You will want to find someplace much larger if you wish to continue to rest together._

Jade wrapped his long neck around Izuku and placed his head in his lap. Izuku absentmindedly began to scratch at the base of his neck spines.

“I’ll have to talk to mom,” Izuku murmured. Maybe they could set up something in the barn?

_Tomorrow we shall begin your training,_ Saphira said, breaking Izuku from his thoughts.

“I-I’m starting at the new school tomorrow,” Izuku told her.

_That is fine,_ Saphira dismissed his concern. _Your training will take place afterwards._

_***_

The new school wasn’t all that different from the first one, though it was a good deal smaller. There was just the one class of students in each year. When the teacher had introduced him to the class, he had told the other kids that Izuku had a companion quirk, not even calling Jade by name, which still irked Izuku.

The other kids were okay. They were interested in Jade, but they kept treating him like he was a dog. After the third or fourth time Izuku and Jade decided to just keep their distance.

That afternoon when Izuku got home, he ran straight upstairs and grabbed Saphira’s heart. He brought her to the backyard and sat down with her. Jade settled next to him, his head resting in Izuku’s lap.

_Izuku, you are young, even by the standards of humans,_ Saphira told them.

“Oh,” Izuku murmured.

_It is not a bad thing,_ Saphira assured him. _It only means that we will have to take our time and be cautious with your training._

“Okay,” Izuku nodded.

_Physical training will remain light until you are old enough to handle more strenuous exercises,_ Saphira went on. _In the meantime, we shall focus on the many other aspects of your training._

“Like what?” Izuku asked.

_We will start with preparing your mind,_ Saphira explained.

“My mind?” Izuku wondered.

_Your mind,_ Saphira confirmed. _The same way you touch upon Jade’s consciousness or I touch upon yours, you can reach out to all the life around you._

“Wait but I don’t do anything to talk to Jade,” Izuku shook his head. “He’s just always there.”

Saphira’s mood seemed to shift. Her attention turned to Jade, and a sense of disapproval spread through him. Izuku could feel Jade’s discomfort but he did not fully understand why.

“Is something wrong?” Izuku asked nervously.

Saphira heaved a sigh greater than any he had heard from her. _No Midoriya,_ Saphira told him. _But Jade has done you a disservice._

Izuku’s eyes went wide. “No!” he exclaimed. He hugged Jade’s head close to his chest. “Jade wouldn’t do that!”

_I am sure he did not mean to,_ Saphira comforted him. He could feel Jade shrinking away from Saphira’s words. _But it does not change what has happened._

“W-what happened?” Izuku stuttered. He didn’t really want an answer. He really hoped Jade didn’t do anything too bad.

_Jade has remained in constant contact with your mind,_ Saphira explained. _As a result, you have not had as much exposure to the concept I am describing as you ought to have had._

“S-so what now?” Izuku asked hopefully. That didn’t sound so bad.

_We will have to start at the beginning,_ Saphira sighed. _I will have Jade remove his presence from your mind._

Jade’s displeasure made his desire not to well know, but a mental glare from Saphira was enough to dissuade him from disobeying her.

_I will remove myself as well,_ Saphira continued. _We shall allow you a moment to reacquaint yourself with the feeling of your own, singular, consciousness. Then we shall take turns brushing against your mind so that you may become acquainted with boundaries of your mind scape._

“Okay,” Izuku nodded.

Izuku gasped as suddenly he was alone again. He hadn’t felt it before, but now that his mind was empty of anyone but himself, it felt all too lonely. The space Jade had occupied before felt like a void now.

Izuku instantly reached towards the void, driven by a desire to feel whole once again. He found just a trace of Jade’s mind. It was as though there was an invisible line that connected their minds together, a path that he could follow. It was a bond between them. Oh! It was probably their bond.

Izuku reached along the connection and felt Jade’s mind. Where before Jade had been in Izuku’s mind, now he was in Jade’s.

_“Whoa,”_ Izuku gasped. He spoke in both his mind and with his voice.

Saphira’s surprise and Jade’s satisfaction were instant.

_I suppose that is a promising start,_ Saphira huffed. _Though perhaps_ _I will need to add exercises in independence to your training._

Izuku blushed. _“Sorry,”_ he murmured. _“I didn’t mean to.”_

 _It’s fine young one,_ Saphira assured him. _Your bond with Jade means that it is easier for you to reach out to him. Still it is impressive that it took you so little time. We can only hope that it is aptitude and not luck._

Saphira had Izuku practice reaching out with his mind. First to her heart after she had withdrawn from Izuku and Jade’s minds, and then searching for his mom while she was still inside the house. It took him several tries. Stretching his mental reach that far was taxing. Sweat formed on his forehead and he thought he was getting a headache, but he pushed through.

He finally felt her after about ten minutes of stretching out. He brushed against her consciousness and gasped. He quickly pulled away before she could figure out he was there.

_Good,_ Saphira praised. _Now I want you to speak to her._

 _“Is that okay?”_ Izuku asked. _“She doesn’t know about you.”_

 _I will protect your thoughts so that you do not overshare,_ Saphira told him.

_“Okay,”_ Izuku nodded.

He brushed against his mom’s mind once again. This time though he didn’t shy away. He pushed his way into her mind and felt her thoughts.

_Let’s see,_ she mused. _I need to go grocery shopping. Crap. How am I gonna afford that? Maybe I can just buy some rice for now. Oh, but Izuku’s a growing boy. I can’t just give him rice._

Izuku flinched mentally. He probably wasn’t meant to hear that.

_“Mom!”_ Izuku called out before he heard anything else.

_“Izuku?”_ she asked aloud. Though Izuku couldn’t hear the words, he still knew they were spoken.

_“Yeah mom,”_ Izuku confirmed.

_“Baby, where are you?”_ Inko asked as she moved around the kitchen.

_“I’m in the backyard with Jade,”_ Izuku told her.

_“Wha-?”_ she gasped.

Izuku watched as she pulled the curtain in the kitchen aside and looked out at him. He waved back at her.

_“Pretty cool right?”_ Izuku asked happily.

_“P-pretty cool,”_ Inko stammered. It was weird seeing her lips move and hearing her voice in his head rather than with his ears.

_“I’m gonna go back to training mama,”_ Izuku told her.

 _“B-be safe,”_ she called as Izuku pulled back and left her mind.

_Well done,_ Saphira complimented as she fully rejoined his mind. _You will find that unless you speak most will not feel your presence in their mind. I will train you to erase your presence entirely so that even those who could feel you will no longer be able to tell._

 _“What else will you teach me?”_ Izuku asked curiously.

_I will teach you to erect defenses so that you may protect your thoughts from others,_ Saphira told him. _There are unlikely to be many in this world who can reach into your mind, but the powers of this land are strange. It is better to be safe. I will also teach you how to destroy and weave through the defenses of others and to search their minds for answers. I will teach you how to wield a sword, fire an arrow from a bow, and fight when your weapons have failed you. I will teach you the ancient language, in which no lie can be spoken. I will teach you leatherwork and perhaps one day metalwork. I will teach you to hunt and to kill so that you may feed and protect yourself. I will teach you the history of the riders, from the first Eragon to the end of Alagaesia. And, perhaps most importantly, I will teach you to fly._

Izuku was amazed. There was so much to do! He wanted to get started right away.

_“That’s awesome!”_ he cheered. _“I can definitely be a hero with your teachings!”_

Izuku’s reaction caused a sense of surprise from her, and a familiar questioning feeling from Jade.

_There were many dragon riders who were considered great heroes,_ Saphira told him. _But I do not know much about the heroes of this world._

 _“Heroes are awesome!”_ Izuku told her excitedly. _“They keep everyone safe from villains and save them from disasters! They make sure people feel safe.”_

 _Very noble,_ Saphira commended. _How do these heroes come to be?_

 _“They go to school for it,”_ Izuku explained. _“The very best heroes go to UA University.”_

 _And if you don’t?_ Saphira asked.

_“Don’t what?”_ Izuku asked back.

_If you don’t go to this school,_ she clarified.

_“Well you can’t be a hero without going,”_ Izuku told her. _“That would make you a vigilante.”_

 _And?_ Saphira laughed. _What is a vigilante?_

 _“Well it’s someone who does hero work illegally,”_ Izuku explained. _“They’re criminals.”_

Saphira was quiet for long enough that Izuku was shifting in the grass uncomfortably. He could feel her thinking on his words deeply.

_You plan to go to one of these schools?_ She finally asked him.

_“Yeah,”_ Izuku nodded. _“I want to go to UA.”_

_And when would you go?_ Saphira questioned.

_“Well it’s a college,”_ Izuku told her. He counted on his fingers. _“So I’d apply in twelve years.”_

 _Good,_ Saphira sighed. _By then your training should be complete. It sounds like this hero school is the best way for you to preform your duty as rider and dragon. You shall attend it once you are ready._

 _“Duty?”_ Izuku asked.

_As the riders of this world, it is your duty to protect and serve the people,_ Saphira explained. _It is good that there are others who will help you in this. First, we must make sure that you are ready for the task._

 _“R-right,”_ Izuku nodded.

***

That night, dinner was rather awkward. The meal only consisted of a bowl of rice each. The two of them sat at the table in their new kitchen, Jade resting his head in Izuku’s lap as always. His mom had been giving him strange looks throughout the entire meal. It didn’t really help Izuku as he tried to work up the courage to talk about what was on his mind.

“M-mom,” Izuku began as she finished her bowl of rice. “What do we do when Jade is too big for my room?”

Inko didn’t miss a beat before she responded. “I thought we might get him set up in the barn,” Inko said.

Izuku sighed in relief. “Really?” he asked excitedly. It was almost too good to be true.

“Of course,” Inko smiled. “It was a big part of what sold me on the house.”

“That’s so cool,” Izuku crowed happily. “We’ll have so much space! I doubt Jade’ll outgrow it before we get into UA.”

Inko’s eyebrows knit together as Izuku spoke. “We?” She asked. “Izuku, sweety, you don’t want to sleep in the barn with him, do you?”

Izuku looked at his mother with a smile. “Of course!” he laughed. “Me and Jade can make it super cool!”

And despite everything in her saying that she couldn’t let her son sleep in a barn, she couldn’t find it in her to say no to him.

“T-there was something else t-too,” Izuku stammered nervously.

“Oh?” Inko asked. She ruffled his hair from her seat. “No need to be so nervous sweetheart. You can talk to me about anything.”

“W-well I’m trying to train to be a hero,” Izuku told her.

“I know sweety,” Inko smiled. “And I’m so proud of you. My big strong boy, you’re going to be an excellent hero one day.”

“But I think I need some stuff,” Izuku explained. “I want to make a saddle for Jade, and a bow, and I need a lot of notebooks to keep track of everything, and maybe some targets-”

Inko’s sigh cut him off. Izuku looked at his mom to find her with her head in hands.

“M-mom?” Izuku asked nervously.

“I’m sorry Izuku,” Inko whispered.

Izuku got up and walked over to his mom. He wrapped her in a hug, his short arms not quite making it all the way around her. “What’s wrong mama?”

“We can’t afford any of that Izuku,” Inko told him. “I know I shouldn’t tell you this, it isn’t something you should have to worry about, but money’s tight sweety. The money your dad sends is paying for the house, but there just isn’t a lot let over. It’s enough for some groceries, but that’s it. I-I’m looking for a job, but there isn’t a lot in this area.”

Izuku hugged his mom tighter as she broke down in sobs, no longer able to hold herself together. Izuku didn’t know what to do. His mom had always been quick to cry, but normally he would just hug her and that would help. This time it just didn’t seem like enough.

“It’s okay mama,” Izuku comforted her. “W-what if I got Jade to go hunt for us? Or we could start a garden.” Izuku was rambling, but he could hear his mom’s sobs quieting so he didn’t stop. “Maybe we could use Jade’s poop to help. They say stuff like that is supposed to help plants grow. Its pertiliser.”

“Fertilizer,” Inko corrected him with a wet chuckle. Her arms wrapped around Izuku and dragged him into her lap. She buried her face in his hair, her tears all but stopped. “Oh, what did I do to deserve such a smart boy for a son?”

“So you think we should try?” Izuku gasped.

“We can try,” Inko nodded.

***

Inko had gone out and bought seeds for the garden that same day. Together the two of them selected a big patch of earth in the backyard and got to work. They pulled all the grass and weeds up from the earth. They put a fence around it to keep out all the animals from the woods. Jade tore up the earth with his claws to make it easier to work with too. Inko had to go collect his poop from the woods, the dragon refused to poop in front of them. But finally, they had spread out the fertilizer and planted the seeds.

The garden proved a near instant success. By the end of the day they already had several plants sprouting through the black soil. Inko hadn’t believed Izuku when he told her. She’d had to see it to believe him. It turns out dragon poop is _really_ good fertilizer.

Inko was more hesitant to take Izuku up on his offer to have Jade hunt for them. Izuku assured her it would be okay, but she wouldn’t hear it. So as the days went on and their garden began to produce veggies for them, the Midoriya’s adopted a mostly vegetarian diet.

The garden helped with the finances a bit. It wasn’t a lot, but it was enough that his mom managed to get him some scrap leather from one of the farms nearby. Saphira had coached him on how to cut the pieces and shape the leather. He’d sewn it all together into a rough saddle, which now sat on Jade’s shoulders.

_It is not bad for a first time,_ Saphira told him. _It should hold up long enough for you to hone your skills._

 _Should?_ Izuku asked with a quirked eyebrow.

_I will not let you fall,_ Jade assured him, his gentle voice still sent chills through Izuku. He’d started speaking more, Izuku thought it was due to the constant back and forth of information that their mental training sent between the two.

_Okay,_ Izuku breathed. He could do this.

Izuku climbed up into the saddle. Jade’s shoulder now stood the same height as Izuku, so Izuku had to use Jade’s knee as a step to reach it comfortably. Once he was settled in the seat he strapped his legs in the way Saphira had instructed him.

_Now this saddle is one made for speed,_ Saphira told him. _Jade has been practicing aerial maneuvers. We will start small, but the goal is to get you comfortable in the saddle even through the strongest of twists and turns._

 _Yes master,_ Izuku nodded.

_Ready?_ Jade asked. His excitement and pride were seeping through their connection. The single word was enough that Izuku was starting to feel giddy himself.

_Yes,_ Izuku smiled.

The moment the thought left his mind Jade’s was running through the backyard. Izuku could feel the muscles moving beneath him and the wind whipping around them as Jade beat his powerful wings. Izuku grabbed onto the spike in front of him as Jade took to the sky.

Izuku screamed in joy as the ground fell away beneath them. Flying was unlike anything he had ever experienced. He hadn’t experienced all that much to be fair, but Izuku thought that he could travel the world a thousand times over and he would never find anything as amazing as flying.

Izuku could see for miles as they continued to climb. He hadn’t realized just how great the forest behind their house was. Even as they leveled out and the house below them looked no bigger than a toy, he still could not see the end of it. On the other side he could just make out the scattered properties far in the distance.

_Hold on,_ Jade warned.

Izuku could feel what Jade was planning. His grip tightened on the spike in front of him as Jade spun in the air. The single spin had almost been enough to cause him to lose his grip, but it was over quick enough that he managed.

_Well done,_ Saphira praised him. _Many riders struggle in the beginning._

 _Thank you,_ Izuku thought as he gasped for air. He hadn’t realized he was holding his breath until she had spoken.

_Now the real test will begin,_ Saphira informed him. _Prepare yourself._

_***_

Hours later they finally landed. The world was spinning and Izuku’s legs felt like jelly in the saddle, but he had never had so much fun in his life. Izuku unstrapped his legs and slid out of the saddle. He collapsed the second his feet hit the ground. He might have been able to get up, but the ground felt so good.

Jade slammed down into the ground next to him. The dragon was panting, his wings drooping tiredly around them both. The heat rolling off of Jade’s body soothed the aching chill that filled Izuku’s limbs.

_Well done you two,_ Saphira praised them. _Now let us continue._

Izuku halfheartedly glared at the saddlebag her heart currently resided in.

 _Do not give me that look,_ Saphira chuckled. _You must take the saddle off of Jade and see to its maintenance. Your gear is only as dependable as you are to it._

 _Yes master,_ Izuku groaned as he pried himself off of the earth. He went about undoing all of the straps of the saddle. Jade moved as little as possible, probably more due to his exhaustion than helpfulness.

_While you work, we will begin your lessons in the ancient language,_ Saphira told them.

_Why are we learning this master?_ Izuku asked. It didn’t seem like the most useful of things to be focusing on.

_The ancient language is a powerful tool Izuku,_ Saphira explained. _The magic of Alagaesia runs deep through its words. No lies can be spoken in the language. But it is also a part of the history of the riders. It is a part of your legacy, and it is your responsibility to carry it forward and ensure its survival._

 _Survival?_ Izuku thought.

_I do not know the final fate of Alagaesia,_ Saphira sighed. _Nor will we ever. I was sent to your world because it was believed that the riders could not stand against the oncoming storm. The riders wanted to ensure that even in some small way, they could continue on and continue to do good._

 _I understand,_ Izuku nodded. _How do we begin?_

 _I will teach you the words and their forms,_ Saphira told him. _Then we shall practice. When you are ready, we shall speak only in the ancient language._

 _Yes master,_ Jade and Izuku nodded together.

***

That night Izuku noticed something in the mirror as he was brushing his teeth. His ears, which used to be perfectly round, had the barest hint of a point. He’d freaked out instantly. Spitting the toothpaste out, and quickly rinsing his mouth, Izuku sprinted out of the bathroom and to his room.

_My ears are pointed!_ He shouted mentally as he grabbed Saphira’s heart from the bed side table. Jade raised his head off of the bed to look at Izuku.

_Quiet down young one,_ Saphira groaned. _I was asleep, not dead._

 _My ears!_ Izuku insisted.

_Hmm,_ Saphira hummed. She looked at him through Jade’s eyes. _Indeed. Your ears are pointed now._

 _Is this supposed to happen?_ Izuku asked in exasperation. This felt like a much bigger deal to him than the way Saphira was speaking of it.

_In a sense,_ Saphira mused. _The magic that binds a rider and their dragon is a result of an old treaty. That treaty was between Elves and Dragons. As time went on, other races were added to the treaty. Humans first. Then eventually Dwarves and Urgals. Through the bond a rider becomes stronger, more agile, more perceptive, and ageless. Riders would often find that they experienced physical changes over time. Humans would develop elvish features, such as pointed ears. The Drawvish riders stood taller than any of their fellow Dwarves. An Urgal rider’s skin would grow pale and smooth._

 _Whoa,_ Izuku gasped. _So then is this it?_ Izuku’s hand reached up and began playing with the small point.

_I do not know,_ Saphira shrugged. _Normally the changes would take longer to appear._

 _I wonder if its because of quirks,_ Izuku mused. _Humans had to become a lot more adaptable to keep from hurting themselves with their quirks._

 _Perhaps,_ Saphira agreed. _Or perhaps it is because you are the only rider in this land. The magics which bind dragon and rider exist solely in the two of you. Such concentrated magics could be having greater effects than have ever been experienced before._

 _So I might change more,_ Izuku sighed.

 _Only time will tell young one,_ Saphira comforted him. _For now, you should sleep. We have much to do and you will need your rest._

***

The next five months were filled with intense training. They continued to train Izuku’s skill at mental fortification and infiltration. Izuku became more and more comfortable in the saddle and Saphira pushed them with harder techniques. Jade was apparently built for speed and maneuverability that few dragons could hope to match, though the way Saphira phrased it made Izuku think she had been built much the same.

The ancient language was something that Jade and Izuku had spent many long hours working on. Izuku had filled more than a few notebooks with words and explanations of the grammar. The thing that helped the most though was speaking with Saphira. She would lace her words with images and intentions that made it perfectly clear what the words meant, even the ones that Izuku hadn’t learned yet. They had already made the switch to communicating solely in the ancient language.

Saphira had started teaching Izuku how to wield a sword. Or at least that’s what she insisted she was doing. Izuku would swing a stick around in the backyard. He felt ridiculous. But the entire time Saphira would watch him through Jade’s eyes and coach him. She would tell him to tuck in his elbows or to not extend so far. Each day he got a little better, and each day she pushed him a little harder.

**_Today,_** Saphira began. **_We are going to be doing something different._**

 ** _Yes master,_** Izuku nodded as he sat down in the grass, his training stick resting in his lap. Jade sat a fair distance away and watched as he lounged in the sun.

**_Throw away your sword,_** Saphira commanded him.

Izuku furrowed his brow a little in confusion but he followed her instructions. He threw the stick towards the woods. It flew a good fifty feet away before landing in the grass.

**_Now retrieve it,_** Saphira instructed. Izuku made to stand. **_I did not say to get up._**

 ** _How am I supposed to retrieve it without getting up?_** Izuku asked.

**_You can and you will,_** Saphira told him.

Izuku’s brow furrowed further. It couldn’t be a lie. You couldn’t lie in the ancient language, even in thoughts. So there had to be a way.

Izuku held out his hand and tried to summon the stick. It was something he had done before, when he was experimenting to see if he had his mom’s quirk. Maybe Saphira had felt the quirk within him? He focused, looking for some sort of tug or pull, anything that could bring the stick to him. But all he felt was the careful gazes of both Saphira and Jade.

Izuku huffed and did his best to ignore them as he continued. Maybe if he reached out with his mind? He pushed beyond his own consciousness and out into the field. He felt the grass and the insects. He felt all of the life, but the stick was long dead. He couldn’t feel it where it lay.

Izuku bit at his lip. Maybe there was a trick? He looked over to where Jade was laying in the grass. The dragon watching him in turn.

**_Jade?_** Izuku asked.

**_No Izuku,_** Saphira sighed. **_This is your task. You must do this yourself._**

Izuku growled in frustration as he turned back to the stick. He wracked his brain for anything he could do, but the task was impossible. It had to be impossible. But it wasn’t. Saphira had told him it wasn’t. Maybe _he_ was the issue. Maybe he just wasn’t good enough. He felt a white-hot something bubbling within him.

No. He refused to believe that. Jade had chosen him. He may not have had faith in himself, but he trusted Jade. So Izuku would believe in himself because Jade did. The white-hot bubble filled him to the brim at the thought.

**“Come here!”** Izuku shouted in frustration.

Miraculously the stick flew to his hand. The impact stung, but Izuku was far too amazed that it had worked to pay much attention.

**_How?_** Izuku gasped.

**_Magic,_** Saphira answered. **_Others may have provided a more poetic explanation, but I am not one for such things. As a rider, you have access to magic. You’re limited only by your knowledge of the ancient language and the strength of your body. Jade will be able to provide strength to bolster your spells as well._**

 ** _So the ancient language is magic?_** Izuku asked.

**_Yes and no,_** Saphira chuckled. **_As I have told you magic runs deep in the ancient language, but the power and the intention must come from the spell caster. The words alone are useless and the same spell can have drastically different results if the spellcaster intends them differently. It is not riders alone who can access magic, but I have seen no others in this world with the ability._**

 ** _You said I was limited by how strong I am?_** Izuku asked. He had a million questions, but Saphira had always encouraged him to ask them one at a time, breaking him of his rambling habit early.

**_The energy must come from somewhere,_** Saphira explained. **_If you try to do something that you would be unable to do yourself, then you will die._**

 ** _Oh,_** Izuku thought.

**_That is why you must know your limits,_** Saphira told him. **_We will work on this._**

 ** _Yes master,_** Izuku nodded.

***

Magic was something Izuku loved learning. Adding it into his training was grueling, but it was rewarding work. Saphira taught him how to cast wards to protect himself, how to silence any noise that he made, and a million other things that Izuku never would have thought possible. She told him that as long as he could say the words, then he could attempt anything, but she warned against attempting anything too difficult without a failsafe and she warned him against risky phrasing. Apparently, many riders had caused unintended harm due to a poorly worded spell.

She had him perform a thousand tasks, both with and without magic, to understand his limits. He knew the largest stones he could lift and how long he could hold them. He knew how long he could produce a flame and how hot it burned. He knew how far he could run and how fast.

Now Saphira had him working to find how many arrows he could fire in a row. His mom had bought him the bow a few months ago with the savings the garden provided. It was a simple wooden thing, but it was supposed to have a high draw weight. It was supposed to work for a few years. So when Izuku pulled back another arrow and the bow snapped in his grasp, he was more than a little frustrated.

**_Damn it,_** Izuku cursed.

**_It is fine Izuku,_** Saphira sighed.

**_It’s not,_** Izuku snapped. **_We could barely afford this one. What am I supposed to do now?_**

 ** _We will make one,_** Saphira told him.

**_What?_** Izuku asked, his shock instantly dispelling his anger.

 ** _You will make one,_** Saphira huffed. **_I did not see this happening so soon, if ever, but here we are._**

 ** _What happened?_** Izuku asked.

**_It seems we were right,_** Saphira explained. **_Your body is reacting more than is usual to the changes of being a rider. Your strength is great enough that you can no longer handle a human bow._**

 ** _So what kind of bow will we be making?_** Izuku wondered.

**_I will teach you how the elves sing their bows into being,_** Saphira told him.

**_Sing?_** Izuku asked.

**_Yes,_** Saphira nodded mentally. **_Magicians have often found that songs were incredibly useful in shaping more complicated magics. You could accomplish the same task without them, but it is easier to lose focus or for your intentions to shift. The song helps the caster remain focused on their task._**

 ** _So I will sing about a bow,_** Izuku thought, though his doubts were clear in his mind.

**_You will sing of growth,_** Saphira told him with a huff. **_You will sing to the trees and ask for them to shape themselves to your desires. You will sing strength and pliability into the wood itself as it grows. And you will be rewarded with a bow._**

 ** _Yes master,_** Izuku bowed. He had seen the image in Saphira’s mind that accompanied her explanation. He knew what to do, at least in theory.

Izuku walked to the edge of the forest, to one of the thicker trees. He knelt by its roots and looked up. The tree was massive, easily twenty meters tall. Its thick truck decorated with knots and sap. Its bark was a beautiful chocolatey brown.

Izuku sighed. Jade pressed his presence against Izuku’s, letting him know he was there. Izuku reached for the white-hot bubble of magic that was within himself. He allowed the pool of energy to fill him, burning through his veins. Only once he had a firm grasp on it did he begin to sing. He sang a slow song with long notes so that he could take his time.

**“Ancient tree, of forest old,**

**I beseech thee, though I bring no gold,**

**I offer growth, and new life sprung,**

**Grow strong for me, as I have sung.”**

As Izuku sang, a new branch sprouted from an old knot. The green sprout quickly thickening and growing into a large branch. Izuku could feel the drain on his energy instantly. His eyes went wide in surprise, both at the instant growth and the drain, but he continued to sing.

**“Ancient tree, of forest green,**

**I beseech thee, shape it lean,**

**A curve of wood, to bend with strength,**

**Grow it for me, grow long in length.”**

Izuku felt his breath growing heavy. The song was growing strained. The branch was beginning to look like a bow, curving into the familiar shape. He was close to finishing, but he didn’t know if he had the strength. Before he could give up, Jade joined his mind more fully with his own. Jade’s strength filled Izuku and continuing was easier.

**“Ancient tree, of forest large,**

**I beseech thee, I give this charge,**

**You’ve done your task, grown me a bow,**

**I have one last ask, let it go.”**

As Izuku’s song finished, the bow clattered to the earth. Izuku sighed in relief as he stopped the flow of energy into the tree. He picked up the bow and held it gingerly in his hands.

The bow was the same chocolate brown as the bark of the tree. Its surface was smooth and shiny. The grain of the wood flowed up the length of the bow. It was beautiful. It filled Izuku with a warm sense of pride and accomplishment.

**_Well done young one,_** Saphira praised him. **_I did not know if you would succeed, but you have accomplished something quite difficult here._**

 ** _Thank you master,_** Izuku panted. He wiped the sweat from his brow. **_What will we do about a bowstring?_**

 ** _I will show you how to sing one from the vines,_** Saphira told him. **_But that will wait for another day. We’ve done enough for today._**

 ** _Yes master,_** Izuku sighed. He laid back in the grass and relaxed.

The sudden weight of Jade’s head smacking into his chest knocked the wind out of him.

**_I’m glad you like your new stick thrower,_** Jade teased him.

**_Thanks for your help,_** Izuku groaned. **_I don’t know if I could have done it without you._**

 ** _You don’t have to,_** Jade smiled. He looked at Izuku with one giant forest green eye. **_We are one. My strength is yours, and yours is mine._**

 ** _I don’t know if that’s exactly a fair trade,_** Izuku laughed. **_You’re a lot stronger than me._**

Jade rolled his eye and settled further into Izuku’s chest. Izuku reached up and scratched under the curve of Jade’s jaw, taking great pleasure in the rumbling that came from his dragon.

*******

Izuku was meditating in the backyard, sending his consciousness outside the confines of his mind and feeling the life around him. Over the years he had extended his reach, now from the middle of the backyard he could reach out over a hundred meters into the forest.

The plethora of life within the forest was overwhelming. Izuku would always find himself focusing on one creature or another. He knew Saphira was disappointed. She kept telling him to focus on _all_ the life around him, but no matter how much he focused there was just too _much_.

So he was trying to let go and take in everything. Which was why he could feel it when a creature rocketing towards him entered his perception range. Izuku’s eyes flew open and he grabbed his bow off the ground. He drew an arrow just as whatever it was slammed into the earth by the forest.

Izuku ran up to the newly formed crater, Jade running right beside him. He pointed the arrow straight at whatever it was. The dust meant it was nothing but a shadow to him.

**“Away,”** Izuku commanded.

The dust blew away and revealed the creature, but Izuku couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Crouched in the crater was All Might. But he wasn’t the larger-than-life hero that Izuku was used to seeing on TV. He was injured, barely keeping himself standing as he tried to staunch the bleeding wound on his right side.

“All Might?” Izuku asked as he lowered his bow.

“Fear not citizen,” All Might wheezed. “Such a wound-” All Might cut off as a wet cough ripped through him, blood splattering on the earth before him. “Such a wound is nothing to a hero of my caliber.”

“Jade, help me,” Izuku called out as he rushed into the crater.

He ran up to All Might and threw one of the hero’s massive arms over his shoulders. Jade slipped his neck beneath the other arm and together they carried the hero out of the crater.

_We need to get him to the barn,_ Izuku told Jade.

_Should we wake Saphira?_ Jade asked.

Izuku hesitated. _I don’t know,_ Izuku admitted.

_She knows more about healing,_ Jade reminded him.

Jade was right of course. Izuku couldn’t fight him on it. He just hated to wake her. She was still putting in a lot of effort to their training, and there were days where she would sleep and entrust them to keep up their training. But they needed her.

Izuku nodded. _Go get her,_ Izuku told him. _We may need her strength._

Jade slipped out from beneath All Might, trusting Izuku with his full weight.

“Where is he going?” All Might gasped.

“To get help,” Izuku answered. “Do not speak if it is painful. Your wounds are serious.”

All Might looked around the backyard. He seemed to stare at the forge and the tanning racks. “What is this place?” he asked.

“This is my home,” Izuku laughed.

By the time he reached the barn, Jade had returned, Saphira’s heart held in his teeth.

**_Who is this young one?_** Saphira asked.

**_This is All Might,_** Izuku told her. **_We have to help him._**

 ** _We will young one, do not worry,_** Saphira assured him.

Jade pushed open the sliding door of the barn and helped Izuku bring All Might over to the pile of pillows that made up their bed.

“I thought he was getting help,” All Might coughed weakly.

_He did,_ Saphira said, speaking to All Might directly. _Izuku this is a grievous injury. We will need to work quickly._

“A telepathy quirk?” All Might asked. His eyes scanned the room for signs of anyone else. “I’m sorry, I need to get to a hospital.”

All Might tried to get to his feet, but Izuku pushed him gently back down onto the pillows.

“There’s no time All Might,” Izuku told him. “You’ll have to trust us.”

“Trust a child and someone I cannot even see?” All Might asked tensely.

“Yes,” Izuku nodded. “Now I need you to lay still. I need to focus.”

All Might stopped fighting Izuku and laid his head back on the pillows.

**_Master,_** Izuku called.

**_You can do this Izuku,_** Saphira assured him. **_Take it slow. You’ll need to stop the bleeding and assess the damage before we can heal him fully._**

Izuku took a deep breath. Jade’s presence in his mind providing him with the stability and confidence he needed to continue. When he began to sing, he sang to the tune of one of the lullabies that his mom used to sing to him.

He sang for hours. He sang of life and healing, of the body and its beauty. In his mind he held a picture of All Might, full once again in all his glory. It didn’t take long for Izuku’s strength to fail him, but Jade was there. Together they continued to work. The damage was extensive. All Might’s insides had been torn to shreds. His stomach was gone, most of his lung too, and he was missing large chunks of muscle. They worked to weave the hero back together.

They couldn’t have done it without Saphira’s help. She filled gaps in Izuku’s knowledge. He had studied biology, preparing for the day he might need to do something just like this, but he’d never done anything this extensive. She wordlessly pushed his magic towards the right spots, correcting small mistakes in his task without breaking his concentration. And when Jade’s strength began to fail, the ancient dragon allowed him to pull upon her reserves as well.

At long last he finished the healing and let the song die out. Keeping his eyes opened proved a monumental task. He sagged against the pillows, panting heavily.

**_You did well young one,_** Saphira praised him.

**_“T-thank you master,”_** Izuku rasped weakly.

**_Sleep Izuku,_** Saphira commanded. **_You’ve earned it._**

Izuku would have loved to argue, but he didn’t have the strength for it. All he could do was mumble weakly before his eyes were closed and he was asleep.

***

Toshi’s fight back to consciousness was strange. He had had close calls before, but never had he experienced anything like this. In the darkness of his unconscious mind, he could hear the ethereal singing. It was so beautiful. It filled him with a sense of calm tranquility, one that he fought against with all of his willpower. He needed to be awake. Give in and he might never wake up again.

Toshi forced his eyes to open, but he did not know if he was dreaming or not. The singing was still there. Just as hauntingly beautiful and strange. It was coming from a boy with green hair, his long, pointed ears and angular features making him look as otherworldly as the song he was singing. He fell back into the blackness before he could see anything but the boy.

The void of blackness was all encompassing. It was so hard to focus on anything, and still the singing followed. Toshi latched onto the song like a lifeline. He tried to understand the words, but the harder he listened the less they made sense. The melody was familiar though. It reminded him of his childhood. It made him feel safe.

Toshi pried open his eyes again. He didn’t know how much time had passed. The boy was still beside him, still singing. Toshi tried to reach out for him, to wordlessly ask for help. An enormous, scaled head pushed his arm back down. A giant green eye fixed him with a look that told him that he was not allowed to move. Toshi fell back once again; confused and concerned but unable to fight it.

Still, he fought against the dark abyss that tried to hold onto him. Still, he fought against death, because Toshi could not die here. There was too much still to be done. Too many people who still needed him to save them. So, he fought, and he struggled, and he pushed. Toshi had won every fight, what was one more? Who was death to claim victory over him?

Toshi flew upright. His hand went instantly to his side, to the bloody wound that had crippled him. But the pain was gone. The bleeding had stopped. Toshi looked down, and through the bloody tatters of his costume he saw nothing but smooth skin. There was not even a scar.

Toshi’s eyes scanned around the room. Even in the dark Toshi could tell it was huge. The ceiling was nearly ten meters above and the room was wider and longer than that. The room was filled with a strange mismatch of things. There were bookshelves and a desk, racks filled with all kinds of deadly weapons and armors, and a TV and speaker system.

When Toshi spotted the boy asleep against the edge of the cushions, kneeling with only his head resting against the soft pillows, he went to wake him. He could tell Toshi what was going on. His hand had only just begun to move when a voice stopped him.

_I would prefer if you let him rest,_ the voice said. It was a deep voice, almost impossibly so, but it was soft and gentle in a way.

Toshi opened his mouth to respond, but once again the voice stopped him.

_You do not need to speak,_ the voice told him. _Think and I will hear, Izuku is a light sleeper._

 _How does that work?_ Toshi wondered.

_Simple,_ the voice chuckled. _I read your thoughts and allow you to hear my own._

 _That’s quite the quirk,_ Toshi thought.

_Indeed, it would be,_ the voice agreed.

_Who are you?_ Toshi asked. _Where are you?_

Movement drew Toshi’s eye from behind the boy. What Toshi had written off as a mass of pillows or blankets began to shift. An enormous head, easily the size of Toshi’s body, snaked its way towards him. Eyes so green that they almost glowed in the darkness fixed themselves upon Toshi.

_I am Jade,_ the voice, Jade, told him. _You are in our den._

Toshi was frozen. This thing was as close to a monster as he had ever seen. It was clearly dangerous. But it was intelligent. He wasn’t just some muscle headed buffoon. He knew better than to jump straight to violence. 

_Good,_ Jade complimented, he moved his head back down, laying it beside the sleeping boy. _I’d hate to have to kill Izuku’s favorite hero._

 _Izuku?_ Toshi thought instinctively upon hearing the unfamiliar name.

_My human,_ Jade explained. _Midoriya Izuku. He is the one who has healed you._

 _Then I owe him a thank you,_ Toshi sighed. He rubbed at the spot where All for One had driven his fist, malformed by what was surely over a hundred different quirks. _That wound probably should have killed me._

 _It nearly did,_ Jade told him. _Izuku worked for many hours to save you._

 _Where is he?_ Toshi asked as he looked around. He thought there had been another voice, another telepath. He barely remembered though. He’d been losing a lot of blood.

_He is here,_ Jade laughed. _Once he was done, he did not have the energy to move. He collapsed where he had worked. Seeing as you were using the bed, I could not move him._

 _The boy?_ Toshi nearly screamed. _But he is a child?_

 _Yes,_ Jade agreed. _He did well to accomplish something so difficult. We were not sure if he would be able._

Toshi wondered about the second voice. If the boy had been the one to heal him then who was the second telepath.

_Our master,_ Jade said, answering his unintended question. _She has returned to her slumbers, entrusting me to watch over Izuku and monitor you._

 _Monitor?_ Toshi asked.

_We were unsure in what state you would awaken,_ Jade explained. _If you had been violent, then I would have stopped you. But you are not. You were only tired and confused. And now that I have answered your questions, you should sleep._

 _But-_ Toshi began to argue.

_You may ask your questions in the morning,_ Jade cut him off. _I’m sure Izuku is very excited to speak to you. He will be more than happy to answer you. Now sleep._

 _How can I sleep when I do not even know where I am?_ Toshi asked.

No answer came. Toshi looked to Jade’s head where it lay next to the boy, but his eyes were closed. Toshi had no choice. He laid himself back down in the bloody mess of a bed, sure that he wouldn’t get any more rest, and instantly fell back asleep.

***

The next time Toshi woke up it was much more peaceful. Sunlight streamed through the open door. The room was much the same as it had been last night, though now he could see the blood stains that led from the door to where he lay. The only other difference he noticed was the missing presence of the boy or the dragon, Midoriya Izuku and Jade he remembered.

Toshi climbed out of the mountain of cushions he was using as a bed. The tatters of his costume clung to his chest from the dried blood. He pulled off the top of the ruined outfit, leaving on only the bloodied pants. The blood, combined with the unblemished skin of his chest, was all the proof he needed that none of it had been a dream.

The sound of swishing steel caught his attention. He walked over to the open barn door and looked out. The boy, Midoriya, he reminded himself yet again, was out in the grass. He held a sword in his hand and moved through several strokes with practiced ease. Toshi felt his eyebrows furrow as he took in the site.

The boy couldn’t be older than ten. He’d guess younger. So, what was he doing with what looked like a very real sword. Even if he did seem to be well practiced with it, he was far too young to be dealing with something so deadly.

The dragon was nowhere to be seen. It was just the boy.

“Excuse me,” Toshi called out.

The boy whipped around to face him. Toshi almost laughed at how fast the movement was, but it wasn’t panicked, it was smooth and graceful.

“Good morning,” Midoriya greeted him. He gave a small bow. “How are you feeling?”

Midoriya began walking back towards the barn, kneeling to pick up a leather scabbard and put away the sword as Toshi answered.

“I feel good as new,” Toshi laughed. It was his trademark over the top laugh, with a big smile that showed off his teeth.

“That’s good,” Midoriya nodded. He picked up a bundle of cloth before he stood back up and walked over to Toshi. “These should fit you,” he explained as he handed the bundle to Toshi. It was a plain shirt and a pair of pants, incredibly similar to the ones the boy was wearing, but a half dozen sizes larger. “Once you are changed you may speak to me about what is bothering you.”

With that Midoriya left him. Toshi watched as he walked over to a garden and began pulling fresh fruit and vegetables off of the vines and out of the earth. He went back to the barn and changed as quick as he could, which was quite fast given that he was a pro hero. By the time he reemerged though, Midoriya was seated at a table that had been set up off to the side. Toshi headed that way.

“Jade warned me you still had questions,” Midoriya said as Toshi sat down in the only other seat. He pushed a wooden plate loaded with fresh apples and apricots his way. “I will be happy to answer them, but please eat. You need to regain your strength.”

Toshi nodded and picked up a slice of apple. He ate it, marveling at how crisp and sweet the fruit was, and thought of what he should ask first.

As he thought, he looked around. This place felt so unreal. There was the old farmhouse and the barn, those at least made sense. The other things that filled the field, less so. Off to the side were wooden racks with animal pelts stretched across them. There was a giant stone furnace and an archery field. It felt more like a renaissance fair than someone’s home.

“What is this place?” Toshi found himself wondering out loud.

“This is my home,” Midoriya laughed. The boy’s laugh was as other worldly as his appearance. It was soft, sounding almost musical in its beauty.

“But why is it-?” Toshi finished his question by gesturing towards the strange menagerie of things around them.

“Is it so strange?” Midoriya asked with another laugh.

“Who are you?” Toshi wondered aloud. He tried not to blush when he realized he had spoken aloud. Everything was just so strange.

“I am Midoriya Izuku,” Midoriya answered, his laughter dying down and being replaced with a kind smile.

“The dragon,” Toshi began.

“Jade,” Midoriya reminded him gently.

“Right, Jade,” Toshi nodded. Best not to offend the boy. “He said you were the one who healed me.”

“That is not a question,” Midoriya smiled.

“Did you?” Toshi asked.

“Yes,” Midoriya answered simply. He pushed another plate of fruit to Toshi, who was amazed to look down and realize he had finished the first one.

“How?” Toshi wondered.

“I wove the energy to heal you into you and allowed your body to grow whole once more,” Midoriya told him. It answered less questions than Toshi liked.

“So that’s your quirk?” Toshi pushed. “Energy manipulation.”

Midoriya shook his head. “No,” he laughed. Toshi felt himself frown, and apparently Midoriya saw it too because he chose to continue. “Do not worry too much All Might.”

Toshi looked down at Midoriya, at the strange child, and he found that despite all the oddities that surrounded him, Toshi did not have it in him to distrust a child. Much less interrogate him.

“You’re so young,” Toshi remarked.

“I am,” Midoriya nodded. “But again, that is not a question.”

“I’m sorry Midoriya but this is all a bit strange,” Toshi sighed. “Is there anyone else here? What about your parents?”

“My mother works late most nights,” Midoriya told him. “She is unaware that you are here at the moment. Though she will likely wake soon if you would like to speak to her.”

Toshi considered it for a moment. He owed this boy his life, but he probably shouldn’t be going around spreading that info. If people knew how close to death he had come, then the pillar that held society’s peace would begin to crumble. On the other hand, Midoriya seemed so mature. That was rarely a good sign in one so young.

“Yes,” Toshi agreed. “I think that would be a good idea. I must thank her for her hospitality, even if she was unaware that she was providing it.”

“Would you like tea while we wait?” Midoriya asked.

“That would be nice,” Toshi said with a nod.

Midoriya smiled and left him at the table. He was back moments later with two cups and a steaming kettle. As they waited for the tea to steep, Toshi took in Midoriya’s home once again. He found that it was peaceful. The sound of the birds flittering in the forest as the wind rustled the trees filled the air. There was no sound of traffic or villain attacks. It was wonderfully refreshing. He couldn’t help but wonder if this was what retirement would feel like.

“Izuku?” A groggy voice called from the house. Toshi turned and felt his mind short circuit. Standing in the doorway was a beautiful woman, with long green hair and soft features. Her robe, and the fact that she was still rubbing sleep from her eyes, hinted that she had only just woke up. “Do we have a guest?”

Toshi stood from the table and cleared his throat. “Hello Mrs. Midoriya,” Toshi greeted her with a bow.

The woman’s eyes went wide as she took in Toshi at his full height. “A-All Might!?” she gasped.

Toshi laughed. “Yes, it is I, All Might!” he crowed.

The woman fainted, falling backwards into the waiting arms of her son. Toshi hadn’t seen him move. He brought the woman over to the table and sat her down in the seat he had been occupying. He smiled at Toshi when he saw him watching with concern.

“Don’t worry All Might,” Midoriya assured him calmly. “My mother has always been easy to startle. She’ll wake up soon.”

“R-right,” Toshi agreed awkwardly. He sat back down and noticed the problem. “There are only two seats. Can I help you grab another one?”

“There are only the two All Might,” Midoriya told him. “It is alright, there are chores that need seeing to. Will you watch over my mother for me?”

“Of course,” Toshi nodded. “She is in good hands.”

Midoriya gave him a gentle smile. “I know,” he chuckled. With a bow he excused himself and returned to the barn.

Toshi tried not to stare at the woman across from him. She was just as beautiful up close. Her face was exceptionally kind looking. Her laugh lines and crows’ feet a testament to how much she must smile. As her eyes fluttered open, he marveled at how lovely a green they were.

“A-All Might!” she shouted out again, sitting bolt upright in her seat.

“Hello Mrs. Midoriya,” Toshi greeted again.

“I-it’s Ms. actually,” she stammered.

Toshi smiled at her. “Ms. Midoriya,” he corrected himself with a small bow.

“Forgive me,” Ms. Midoriya said as she bit at her bottom lip. “B-but what is the number one hero doing all the way out here? Or for that matter what are you doing at my house?”

Toshi laughed. It wasn’t the overly loud laugh that he was famous for, it was his real laugh. “A fair question,” Toshi sighed. “I’m afraid I ended up here after a villain attack.”

“A villain?!” Ms. Midoriya exclaimed. “Is he safe? Is he okay?”

“Young Midoriya is fine,” Toshi assured her. Her panic disappeared almost instantly as she sagged in relief. “He said he was going to get started on some chores, but he asked that I keep an eye on you.”

“That boy,” Ms. Midoriya sighed. She sounded exasperated, but fond as well. It was nice to hear and it helped assuage Toshi’s concerns, if only a little.

“He seems like a good kid,” Toshi agreed. “He helped me with my injuries and allowed me to sleep in your barn.”

“You were injured?” Ms. Midoriya worried. Her eyes scanned his form. Taking in his clothes. She furrowed her eyebrows and scowled when she saw them. “He made you clothes?”

“He made these?” Toshi asked in surprise.

Ms. Midoriya sighed. “Yes,” she nodded. “Izuku does what he can to help out. He learned how to make clothes and he’s quite good at it. But it means that he didn’t think he could salvage the clothes you arrived in. Was it that bad?”

Toshi flinched at the woman’s astute analysis. “It wasn’t good,” he confirmed. He rubbed at the spot where his wound had been. “Your son’s quirk is really something.”

Ms. Midoriya stared off at his words. He followed her gaze towards the barn where young Midoriya was carrying out the bloody pillows and throwing them in a growing pile. Once he had collected all of the pillows, he stood in front of the bloody pillows. Toshi’s eyes went wide as suddenly all the blood flowed out of the fabric and into the earth. Midoriya then began carrying the pillows back in.

“I don’t understand how he does it all myself,” Ms. Midoriya confessed. “One day he just ran into the kitchen all excited. He said some funny words and all of a sudden the vegetables started to float off of the counter.”

“So what _is_ his quirk?” Toshi asked.

“The doctor said it was a companion quirk,” Ms. Midoriya told him. “He said that Izuku would never have a power of his own and that Jade would stay the size of a house cat.”

“A house cat?” Toshi asked in disbelief.

“That’s how big he was when Izuku first got him,” Ms. Midoriya chuckled. “Came stumbling out of the woods in the dead of night with the tiniest dragon climbing him like a jungle gym.”

Toshi couldn’t help but laugh at the image.

“At the time it was like my prayers had been answered,” Ms. Midoriya told him. “He was a bit of a late bloomer. I was so scared that he would never get his quirk.”

Toshi stayed quiet. He knew better than most what it was like to be quirkless. He could only imagine it got worse over the last thirty years.

“So no,” Ms. Midoriya shook her head. “I don’t really understand his quirk. I can’t tell you what it is or how it works.” A weak smile spread across her face. “But it makes him happy. _Jade_ makes him happy. And that’s all that really matters to me.”

Toshi smiled. “It sounds like you’re a good mother Ms. Midoriya,” Toshi praised her.

“Call me Inko,” Ms. Midoriya told him. “It’s easier.”

“Thank you Inko,” Toshi bowed.

***

“You boys have everything?” Inko asked as Izuku strapped the saddle onto Jade. It was a big improvement from the first one he had made all those years ago.

“We should be all set mom,” Izuku assured her as he pat the leather bag at his side. He turned around to find his mother tearing up as she watched them.

“Oh! I just know you’re going to get in,” Inko cried. She rushed forward and threw her arms around Izuku. “You’ll be safe though, won’t you?”

“Of course, mama,” Izuku laughed.

“And you keep him safe,” Inko told Jade as she sent a glare over Izuku’s shoulder.

_Yes ma’am,_ Jade laughed. _Always._

“Good,” Inko sighed as she hugged Izuku tighter. She shoved Izuku away, throwing him towards where Jade was waiting for him. “Now you two get going or you’re going to be late.”

“Was that a challenge?” Izuku laughed.

“No, no it was not,” Inko huffed.

“I don’t know,” Izuku teased. “What did you think Jade?”

_It_ sounded _like a challenge,_ the dragon agreed, he bared his fangs in a cheeky grin.

Izuku laughed as he leapt up into the saddle. Jade didn’t hesitate. His massive wings spread and with a single powerful swoosh the two of them took to the air.

“I better not see you boys on the news!” Inko called after them seriously. Izuku could see her jabbing her finger up at them, but he could also see the smile that stretched across her face.

Jade roared into the heavens as Izuku let out a joyous whoop. Jade made it over the trees and stopped holding back. The wind whipped across Izuku’s face as they raced over the trees.

_Remember not to push yourself too hard,_ Izuku reminded him. _We still have to take the exam when we get there._

 _I am still a dragon Izuku,_ Jade huffed. _I was_ made _to fly._

 _I know,_ Izuku laughed. _So you better not try and blame the flight when I beat you._

Jade’s rumbling laughter reverberated through Izuku. Izuku sat back in the saddle and enjoyed the feeling of flying. Even after all these years it was a unique joy in his life. He still took every opportunity to be in the air with Jade.

The forest beneath them gave way to suburbs, and the suburbs gave way to the busy streets and packed buildings of the city. It had been years since Izuku had been here. Musutafu was the place he had been born, but it wasn’t at all like he remembered.

_You have never seen it from skies,_ Jade chuckled.

Izuku was ready to craft a witty comeback, but the two of them felt a presence that stopped it dead. Whatever it was, it was angry, and it was flying towards them, fast. Izuku’s head whipped around and found a large gray dragon coming straight at them.

_Move!_ Izuku called.

Jade tucked his wings close and spun down into a dive. They narrowly avoided the gray dragon’s claws as it reached out at Izuku. Jade twisted his body back, flapping his wings to slip back up and behind the other dragon. Izuku held on tight to the spike in front of him as Jade whipped around.

As Jade grabbed onto the other dragon, his claws and teeth grabbing at onto it, Izuku was amazed they didn’t start plummeting towards the earth. It was only then that he noticed the red qipao it wore.

_Shit,_ Izuku cursed. He threw his mind out towards the dragon as it began to shout.

“Stand down!” the Dragoon Hero: Ryukyu called. “You’re under arrest for public quirk use without a license.”

Jade shoved the other dragon away, the two hovering steady in the air. Izuku couldn’t help but compare the two dragons. Ryukyu was larger than Jade, if only a little, but her scales failed to cover her face or her upper arms.

_“I’m sorry Ryukyu,”_ Izuku apologized, speaking aloud and to her mind to ensure he could be heard. _“I have a permit that allows Jade to travel with me.”_

“A travel permit is not the same as a license to fly him around and scare people,” Ryukyu demanded.

_“We can’t exactly take the subway,”_ Izuku laughed.

“And where exactly are you headed?” Ryukyu asked angrily. “Why not leave your dragon at home?”

_“We’re headed to UA,”_ Izuku told her. _“We’re taking the entrance exam today.”_

Ryukyu growled in frustration. “Fine,” she snapped. “But I’m escorting you there and you’re showing me this permit when we arrive.”

_“Yes ma’am,”_ Izuku nodded.

Ryukyu flipped around in the air, gracefully folding back over herself, and began leading the way towards UA. Jade followed after her.

_She’s slow,_ Jade commented impatiently.

_She’s holding back,_ Izuku pointed out. _She caught us in the air._

 _She started from in front of us,_ Jade huffed making Izuku laugh.

Ryukyu looked at him over her shoulder, but she didn’t say anything.

_We’re attracting more attention,_ Jade told him.

Izuku looked through his eyes and saw the people on the ground looking up. Some were just pointing; others had their phones out.

_Mom’s not going to love that,_ Izuku groaned.

_Nothing we can do about it now,_ Jade shrugged.

Izuku sighed. Jade was right. All he could do was sit back and enjoy the chance to be in the air with Jade.

The rest of the flight passed quickly. Ryukyu kept them away from the taller buildings, something Izuku knew he and Jade probably wouldn’t have bothered doing. It didn’t take them out of their way, but it was significantly less fun.

As they landed outside the gates of UA, Ryukyu shrunk back down to her normal form.

Izuku slid out of the saddle. There were a lot of other students making their way into the campus. Lots of them were staring at Jade or Ryukyu. Some had gone so far as to stop and watch.

_Thank you,_ Izuku sighed as he pat Jade’s shoulder. He turned to face Ryukyu, pulling his wallet out of his bag. He fished out the companion quirk permit and brought it over to her. “Here you go ma’am.”

Ryukyu snatched the card from him. After a quick once over she gave Izuku a stern look. “This permit is for a _small_ companion,” she told him.

“Sorry,” Izuku laughed. “He was a lot smaller when I was five.”

“You need to get this updated,” she sighed as she handed him back the card. “I’ll put out a notice that you’ll be flying back out of the city later. But if I see you flying after that without the proper documentation then I’ll have no choice but to arrest you.”

“Yes ma’am,” Izuku nodded.

Ryukyu huffed and walked away, weaving through the crowd of students that had steadily grown around them. Izuku laughed at the absurdity of it all, to think he’d get stopped by someone as high profile as Ryukyu just to double check his permit.

“Come on Jade,” Izuku called as he turned back to the gate.

The crowd parted for them, a lot of the students rushing to get out of the way of the several ton dragon.

_So, was she cute?_ Izuku teased as they walked through the gate.

Izuku could feel Jade’s exhausted glare on the back of his head.

_What?_ Izuku laughed. _I’m just curious._

 _No,_ Jade sighed. _The half-dragon was not cute._

 _That’s a shame,_ Izuku frowned.

A sense of shared sadness filled the pair as the continued towards the building. As they reached the steps that led to the double doors, they realized the problem.

_I will wait out here,_ Jade chuckled as the mental image of the dragon trying to fit through the admittedly already over sized doors passed through their mental link.

_You’ll draw a crowd,_ Izuku warned.

_Good,_ Jade beamed. _They may appreciate my beauty before they fear my might._

 _You’re incorrigible,_ Izuku grinned as he watched Jade move over to the side of the building. He struck a proud pose, thrusting out his chest, as he brought a claw up to his mouth to clean. Several students were already starting to move towards him.

Izuku just shook his head and made his way inside. The auditorium was easy enough to find. His seat, less so. As he checked in, they handed him a testing ID with his seat number and testing field displayed. The problem was that the auditorium was absolutely massive. Izuku ended up wandering for several minutes before he found his seat.

As he sat down the girl in the seat beside his turned to face him. She had a brown bob with two long strands framing her face and she was all bundled up in a peacoat.

“Hello,” she smiled.

“Hello,” Izuku nodded back.

“I’m Uraraka Ochako,” the girl introduced herself.

“Midoriya Izuku,” Izuku offered in turn. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“It’s nice to meet you too!” Uraraka exclaimed. “I’m so nervous. Are you nervous? It feels this is a good thing to be nervous about.”

“I’m not nervous,” Izuku chuckled. “I’ve worked hard, and I plan to do my best.”

“Oh man that’s so cool,” Uraraka laughed. “You must have a really powerful quirk to be so confident.”

“No,” Izuku shook his head. “Not really.”

The lights began to dim around them.

“Crap! Guess we’re getting started,” Uraraka said.

The two quieted down as Present Mic took the stage. He explained how the exam would be run. The applicants would be unleashed into a mock villain scenario. Their goal was to defeat as many villains and acquire as many points as possible. Present Mic was in the middle of explaining the types of enemies, having already covered the one, two, and three pointers when a boy near the front stood up and interrupted him.

Izuku rolled his eyes at the boy’s over seriousness.

_He’s like a robot,_ Jade pointed out.

_What do you mean?_ Izuku asked with a quirked eyebrow.

_Look,_ Jade instructed as the boy began chopping his hand through the air and rambling about the importance of concise information.

_Point taken,_ Izuku laughed.

Present Mic eventually got everything back on track and finished explaining about the zero pointer, a dangerous robot worth no points. Once he was done, he sent the students out to the busses that would take them to their testing fields.

_You should take the bus,_ Jade told him.

_Planning your dramatic entrance?_ Izuku sighed.

_Always,_ Jade promised.

***

Tenya prided himself on his readiness. This was the most important test of his life. Today he would prove that he could be a hero, just like his brother. He was ready. So, it was very frustrating that no one else seemed to be taking this seriously. Present Mic’s forgetfulness in explaining the zero pointer had already annoyed him. The boy stepping off the bus in loose flowy pants and sandals really set him off.

Tenya approached him. He wasn’t deterred by the boy’s lithe frame or the fact that he stood several centimeters taller than him.

“Excuse me!” Tenya proclaimed as he grabbed the boy’s shoulder. The boy turned to him; his angular features raised into a look of surprise. “You are dressed entirely inappropriately for this exam. If you are ill prepared, I recommend you leave at once.”

The boy looked Tenya up and down, his green eyes taking in the Ingenium brand track suit that he had had tailored to fit him despite the exhausts on his calves.

“My clothes will not impede me,” the boy assured him. He was soft spoken, but his voice still had a firmness to it.

“Your shoes are a safety hazard!” Tenya demanded. “You could trip and get in the way of the other applicants!”

The boy lifted his foot and showed Tenya the sandals. He was surprised to see that the leather straps went around the other boy’s heel and up his calf, securely fastening the shoe to his foot.

Before Tenya could point out that they still did nothing to protect his foot from danger, a sound like a hurricane and the winds to match slammed into the group of students. Tenya had to put one foot back and brace himself not to be blown away. He shielded his eyes and watched as an enormous green dragon slammed into the earth directly behind the boy. One of the other applicants screamed. It wasn’t Tenya who screamed, right?

“Is this part of the exam?” someone asked in disbelief.

_Is this boy bothering you Izuku?_ A deep voice rumbled. It was incredibly strange, as though it was spoken directly into Tenya’s thoughts. Apparently, the other students heard it too because there were several startled exclamations.

“No Jade,” the boy shook his head. With that he turned and started walking towards the gate, the dragon close behind him.

Tenya went to complain about the clear attempt to distract the other applicants when Present Mic hopped up by the gate.

“GO!” he screamed, his voice amplified by his quirk. The gate slammed open beside him.

Tenya was blown back another half step as the dragon launched itself over the crowd with a mighty flap of its wings. Tenya and the other applicants stared after it as it let out a roar that shook the very earth they stood on. It made it through the gate at the same time as the green blur that streaked across the ground beneath it.

“They’ve got the right idea!” Present Mic laughed. “There aren’t any count downs in real life. Now, go, go, go!”

***

Izuku and Jade had separated the moment they were through the gate of battle ground Beta. They were a team, a perfect unit of cooperation, but Izuku’s request for a bow and a sword had been denied. He could have sat atop Jade’s back and cast spells to destroy the robots, but that didn’t sound as fun. So, they chose instead to divide and conquer. And if there was a bit of healthy competition, then so be it.

_Thirteen,_ Jade bragged from across the battlefield.

_Shut it,_ Izuku laughed as he leapt atop another three pointer. He wrenched the head off the robot, throwing it away as he jumped back down. _Twelve._

Izuku ran down another street looking for any other robots. He came across a boy with yellow hair cursing as a pair of two pointers cornered him. Izuku ran straight at the two pointers, leaping as he came close. He kicked off the near one and shoved it into the other. He landed beside the other boy.

“Come on,” Izuku commanded as he grabbed his hand. He raced away, dragging the blond boy away from the two pointers. Once they made it back to the main street, he let the boy go.

He was already racing away when the boy shouted a thank you after him. Izuku couldn’t help but smile hearing it.

***

Of course Izuku would waste time keeping the foolish two-legs from hurting themselves. This was the third fool Izuku had saved, and Jade could tell it was slowing him down.

_It is my duty as rider and hero to help others,_ Izuku sighed when he felt Jade’s judgement across their bond.

_What was it you told me?_ Jade growled. _Fine, but you better not try and use it as an excuse when you lose?_

Jade clawed through another robot as he swooped low to the earth. He did not concern himself with the different types of robots. Prey was prey and he was a predator.

_Fourteen,_ Jade told Izuku.

_Wait you aren’t tracking points?_ Izuku questioned. Jade felt Izuku’s spark of realization. _You’re relaying the number of robots you’ve destroyed!_

 _Yes,_ Jade grinned. _Are you not?_

Jade felt Izuku tapping into his magic. _Twelve,_ Izuku snapped. _Ignore the points all you want; I’m still going to win._

 _You can try little warrior,_ Jade laughed. He let another roar as he flew higher into the sky. He scanned the battlefield, feeling elation like he’d never felt before, and looked for more prey.

***

_Twenty-five,_ Izuku called out as he sent a rock through the head of another three pointer. Jade might not care about the points, but Izuku knew they needed as many points as possible to pass. He had tried to focus on taking out three pointers, but he’d taken down a lot of two pointers and a couple one pointers too.

_You worry too much,_ Jade sighed. _All you need to concern yourself with is the fact that I have twenty-six._

Izuku growled in frustration. He needed another big group, but they’d mostly been dispersed at this point. He was about to turn and run off when the ground began to rumble beneath his feet. For a moment he looked around for Jade, what he found instead was a robot so large it was almost comical.

The zero pointer had been unleashed. A twenty-story tall robot was currently smashing its way through buildings as it worked its way down the main street.

_That seems excessive,_ Izuku sighed.

_It looks like fun!_ Jade exclaimed. Izuku could hear his roar clear across the battlefield.

_Don’t, it’s just a distraction,_ Izuku reminded him. He could feel the disappointment. He was already turning away to find more points when a grunt of pain came from where the debris was falling. Izuku turned around and could just make out the face of the girl he had sat beside in the auditorium, Uraraka.

_Jade!_ Izuku called as he took off towards Uraraka.

_I’m coming Izuku,_ Jade answered him and Izuku could feel the effort he was putting into making it in time.

Izuku wove between the river of applicants moving the opposite way, barely slowing as he passed them. A few students shouted in surprise as he tore past them, but he didn’t care. He made it to Uraraka’s side in seconds.

It wasn’t good. A giant chunk of concrete had fallen directly atop of her. She was still awake, but she was clearly in pain. She locked eyes with him, pain and desperation clear in her expression as she took ragged wheezing breaths.

“Try not to move,” Izuku told her as he looked her over.

Pinned as she was, it wouldn’t be safe to try and move her. She’d need healing almost as soon as the weight was gone, and Izuku didn’t have time to do it. Not with the zero-pointer barreling down upon them.

Izuku could feel Jade approaching. As the dragon swept low, close to the earth, Izuku leapt into the air. He grabbed hold of one of Jade’s neck spikes. He didn’t have time to make it into the saddle, so instead he just held on.

Jade’s roar echoed through the air as the two flew straight to the giant’s head. The collision was almost enough to knock Izuku free, but his grip held. Jade took a deep breath and Izuku had just enough time to turn his face away as Jade bathed the giants head in white hot flames. When he could look again the metal had melted away, but the behemoth was still moving.

Through the hole melted in the robot’s head Izuku could see thick metal wires. He didn’t hesitate, simply acted. His body filled with the white-hot energy of magic and he spoke.

**“Come,”** Izuku commanded.

The tearing and ripping sound of the wires flying to Izuku’s outstretched hands was grating. The robot grinding to a halt once they came free though was satisfying.

“Twenty-six,” Izuku sighed. His joy was short lived though as he remembered Uraraka pinned to the street below them.

Jade moved before Izuku could say a thing. He plummeted back towards the earth as fast as gravity could take them. Enormous green wings spread at the last moment, the deceleration so fast that Izuku’s grip on Jade finally gave out and he tumbled to the hard pavement.

He was on his feet in an instant. His eyes whipped around, searching for Uraraka. He found her, another applicant, a boy with gravity defying purple hair, was trying to lift the concrete off of her. Uraraka was still awake, still struggling to breathe beneath the weight.

“Here,” Izuku called as he walked up. He was panting hard. “Let me help.”

The boy stared at him for a moment before shuffling to the side to make room for him. Izuku fit himself beside the boy and lifted. He knew better than to try and leverage it, the weight might have just crushed her legs if she was pinned wrong. Instead, he made sure his grip was strong, locked his wrists, and lifted the entire slab parallel to the earth. It was heavy, but not undoable.

“Let’s just toss it aside,” Izuku grunted.

“R-right,” the other boy nodded.

Together they threw the slab of concrete away. It landed with a resounding thud a meter away from them, splitting down the middle from the impact. The purple haired boy stared after it, but Izuku was already kneeling by Uraraka’s side.

“It’s going to be okay,” Izuku told her. He rolled her as gently as he could onto her back. He ripped her tank top down the middle, exposing her sports bra and the growing bruising on her ribs.

“Hey!” the boy shouted. “What the fuck are you doing man?”

“I needed to be able to see the damage,” Izuku explained. His eyes never leaving Uraraka as he assessed her injuries. He looked her in the eyes. She was still breathing, but he could see the panic in her eyes.

“You broke several ribs and one of your lungs has collapsed,” he explained. “I’m going to heal you.”

_You don’t have the energy,_ Jade told him gently.

“It doesn’t matter,” Izuku snapped at him. He glared at the dragon where he stood, watching them from where they landed. “We have to do this.”

_Very well,_ Jade relented with a bow of his head. _I am here._

“Thank you,” Izuku nodded.

He let the bubble of magic within him come to the surface once again. This wasn’t a difficult healing, but he rarely got practice with this type of magic. It didn’t help his confidence that Saphira had chosen to stay at home, meaning he and Jade were on their own. He took a deep breath. He focused on what he was doing. And he began to sing.

It wasn’t a fast song, but it was filled with the desperation he felt. The result was a strange, rushed feeling that he hoped didn’t seep into the healing.

**“Make this body whole,**

**Fix that which broke,**

**Close every hole,**

**Don’t let her choke.**

Jade was right. He’d used more energy during the exam than he’d thought. He could feel where his energy stopped feeding the spell as Jade took over. He only hoped that Jade had more strength than he did.

The spell was working. Uraraka’s breaths were already growing deeper and the bruises were less prominent. The pain was no longer twisting her features. But they needed to finish it.

**“Ensure she is well,**

**Soothe all her aches,**

**Leave no tell,**

**Whatever it takes.”**

Izuku panted as he finished the song. The bruising was gone, and her breathing was smooth once again. He let his eyes rest as he sagged backwards.

“Whoa,” the purple haired boy exclaimed as he caught Izuku.

“Sorry,” Izuku offered weakly. He opened his eyes and looked up at the concerned face of the boy. “I’m okay. Healing like that takes a lot of me.”

“T-thank you,” Uraraka gasped as she sat up.

Izuku’s eyes turned to her. She was rezipping the jacket she wore to cover herself back up. “Sorry about your shirt,” Izuku told her with a weak bow. 

“Don’t worry about it,” Uraraka shook her head.

A sudden gust of wind ruffled their clothes and hair, and there before them stood All Might, he carried a small old woman in his arms. When he saw Izuku there he seemed to sag in relief. He set the woman down, who instantly rushed to Uraraka’s side.

“Young Midoriya,” he sighed. “It is good to see you.”

The woman, who Izuku could now recognize as Recovery Girl, started fretting over Uraraka, which meant Izuku could round on All Might with all the rage that was boiling in his gut on full display. In his anger it was as if all his exhaustion was gone.

“I wish I could say the same,” Izuku snapped. He felt his eyebrows furrowed in a glare. “What the hell Toshi?”

“Now Young Midoriya,” Toshi defended as he took a step back. “We got here as fast as we could.”

“Y-you know All Might by name?” Uraraka gasped.

“Who let that thing loose without having a safety net in place?” Izuku demanded, he could explain later.

“UA’s never had any serious injuries during the exam,” Toshi told him.

“Well that record died today,” Izuku cut him off before he could continue. “I want to speak to whoever’s in charge.”

“I’m afraid you can’t just demand such things Midoriya,” Toshi sighed, but Izuku wasn’t listening.

As he walked over to Jade, he turned his head to Uraraka. “Uraraka,” he called. “I’m leaving you in Recovery Girl’s capable hands. She should be able to help get you home.”

“T-thank you,” Uraraka managed through a mouthful of candies that Recovery Girl was continuing to give her.

Izuku leapt up onto Jade’s extended knee and into the saddle. He didn’t bother to strap his feet in.

“Now Midoriya,” Toshi warned him.

“Bring him,” Izuku said aloud.

_Gladly,_ Jade laughed, projecting the word into the mind of everyone present.

Jade leapt into the air with a mighty flap of his wings. As he surged forward, he snagged All Might, one arm in each of his powerful front claws.

“Midoriya!” Toshi screamed as they took off towards the main building. “Put me down!”

Izuku just shook his head.

_You’re angry,_ Jade pointed out.

_Yes,_ Izuku nodded. _I am right to be._

 _Maybe,_ Jade agreed. _But you do not have much strength left._

 _I have enough,_ Izuku told him as they began to descend towards the front steps of the building.

Izuku was pleased to see a welcoming party for them. Jade tossed Toshi not all to gently towards the group as he landed before them. Izuku scowled as he recognized what this was. It was a show of force. Izuku leapt from the saddle undaunted.

“Who is in charge here?” Izuku demanded.

“That would be me Mr. Midoriya,” a small white animal in a tailor fit custom three-piece suit, President Nedzu, stepped forward.

“Nedzu,” Izuku scowled. “I would have expected better from someone of your reputation. I believe you owe me an explanation.”

“We don’t owe you a thing,” Vlad King snarled as he stepped up behind the President. “Just who do you think you are kid?”

Nedzu sighed, whether in disappointment or relief Izuku couldn’t tell, but Vlad King’s words had already had their affect. Izuku was pissed.

“ _I,_ ” Izuku seethed, “am the one who just saved the life of the applicant you almost murdered.”

Izuku let his words sink in. Several of the other heroes were clearly taken aback, both at Izuku’s ferocity and his words. Vlad on the other hand just scoffed.

“Recovery Girl was already on the way with All Might,” Vlad reminded him. “That girl would have been fine.”

“She had a collapsed lung,” Izuku informed the man. His voice dripped with the loathing he was beginning to feel for him. “Not only that but several broken ribs were piercing it. Recovery Girl’s quirk speeds up the healing process, but it can’t fix that. Even with All Might there, she would have suffocated in minutes.”

“And we’re just supposed to take your word for it?” Vlad asked with a barked laugh.

“Yes,” Toshi finally spoke up. Izuku hadn’t seen him pick himself up. “Young Midoriya has one of the most powerful healing quirks I have ever seen. If he says that she would have died, then I believe him.”

Several murmurs broke out at hearing the number one hero back up Izuku. Izuku had to take a deep breath and calm himself. It wouldn’t do to go attacking pro heroes.

“So, let me ask again,” Izuku said through clenched teeth. “What happened?”

Nedzu stepped forward once again, leaving a rather shaken looking Vlad King in his wake. “I’m afraid a mechanical issue led to the zero-pointer causing more destruction than intended,” he sighed. “While nothing like this has happened before, it does not excuse us from our responsibility. You have my deepest thanks for saving Ms. Uraraka’s life.”

“I don’t want your thanks,” Izuku told him. “I want to know that this isn’t going to happen again.”

“You have my word,” Nedzu bowed. “We will be removing the zero pointer from the exam and looking at a full rework of the application process.”

“Good,” Izuku nodded. He turned around and returned to Jade who was watching him with curious eyes.

_What?_ Izuku asked.

_You would have made a good dragon,_ Jade told him.

Izuku rolled his eyes as he climbed back up into the saddle.

“That’s it?” Vlad King demanded as he seemed to snap back to reality. “We’re just gonna let him go? He just threw the symbol of peace at us?”

“I’d love to see you stop him,” Toshi laughed loudly.

Izuku couldn’t help but smile. The way Toshi said it broke through the last dregs of his anger and left him feeling exhausted.

“Hey Toshi,” Izuku called back down. All Might looked up at him with his trademark smile on his face. “You know my mom’s gonna want to have you over for dinner now that you’re back in town.”

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world!” Toshi cheered. He either didn’t know or didn’t care about the strange looks the other heroes were giving them. Izuku just laughed to himself, Jade taking to the air as Toshi and Nedzu waved.

As they flew over the gate and back into the city Izuku slumped against Jade’s neck.

_Sleep little warrior,_ Jade told him. _You’ve earned your rest._

Izuku just nodded as he slipped away into sleep.

***

“Izuku!” Inko yelled from the back door. Izuku looked up from the smithy and towards his mom. She wore her favorite blue sun dress and a giant smile. “He’s here!”

“I’ll be there in a second,” Izuku hollered back before he returned to his work.

His hammer struck at the plate of metal he was shaping. As the hammer provided the beat, Izuku sang. Saphira had taught him how. He sang strength into the metal so that its strength would be far greater.

Once he had finished fixing its shape, Izuku dunked the red-hot metal into a barrel of water. The water hissed and steamed as it cooled the plate. Pulling it out, Izuku inspected the now dark steel. It was as close to perfect as he would be getting. He added it to the pile.

Izuku closed the door to the furnace and pulled off his work gloves before heading to the house. His mom and their guest, none other than Toshi, had already moved to the table in the yard. The sound of his mother’s laughter brought a smile to his face as he approached.

“She didn’t,” Inko laughed with a shake of her head.

“I swear to god,” Toshi laughed. It wasn’t his All Might laugh; it was just as big and loud but it was filled with so much more mirth. “Just wait. I got them to include it in the video.”

“You didn’t!” Inko exclaimed as she fell into another fit of laughter. “Oh, he is gonna love that!”

“Who’s going to love what?” Izuku asked curiously as took the third seat at the table.

Both Toshi and his mom jumped as he interrupted them. He had to fight not to roll his eyes at the way they both blushed.

Toshi cleared his throat. “Ah young Midoriya,” he greeted Izuku. “It is a pleasure to see you again.”

“Likewise,” Izuku nodded. “But you didn’t answer my question.”

Toshi coughed awkwardly again. “Yes, well,” he held out a sealed letter. “I got Nedzu to agree that I could deliver your results.”

“Oh,” Izuku chuckled as he took the envelope from Toshi. “Thank you Toshi,” he bowed.

“Go on Izuku,” Inko urged him impatiently. “Toshi won’t tell me how you did.”

“Okay mama,” Izuku laughed. He shook his head at their antics as he opened the envelope.

A silver disk slipped out and onto the table. Instantly a holographic Nedzu was projected above their plates.

“Greetings!” the hologram cheered. “Am I a rat, a dog, a bear? Who knows! What matters is I am Nedzu, the President of UA University and I am here with your results Mr. Midoriya.”

“The President himself,” Inko gasped.

“Your strategy for the exam was commendable,” Nedzu continued. “By separating, you and your companion managed to acquire quite the multitude of points. Even if we scored you separately, you each would have earned a place in the Hero Course.”

“Combined you shattered the record,” Toshi informed them.

“Indeed,” Nedzu nodded. It felt like he’d been nodding to Toshi. “Your combined score was 110. That score alone was more than enough to earn you first place in the exam.”

“Oh my baby!” Inko cried as she threw her arms around Izuku in joy.

“And that’s not all!” Nedzu cheered. “For you see Mr. Midoriya there is a second part to the exam. One kept secret so that we can measure the heart of our contestants uninhibited.”

The 3-D hologram switched to a flat video feed of Izuku during the exam. It showed him pulling students away from dangerous situations when they got in over their head, it showed him taking down the zero pointer, healing Uraraka, even Jade throwing Toshi down before the line of faculty.

“You went out of your way to assist those in danger,” Nedzu told them happily as the hologram returned. “Even going so far as to insist that _we_ hold ourselves to a higher standard. You inspired us. And you inspired those around you.”

The hologram switched to a video feed once again. The blond boy he had saved had hoped back into the fight with renewed vigor. The boy with purple gravity defying hair had followed him towards the zero-pointer only after seeing him rush to Uraraka’s aid. And finally, it showed Uraraka, she was speaking to Present Mic.

“Please,” she begged him. “He saved my life. I don’t know how, but he did. He deserves to get in, let him have some of my points if he needs them. He just has to get in.”

The hologram of Nedzu returned once again.

“You see?” Nedzu asked. “Your actions were those of a true hero and as such you have been awarded with 200 hero points!”

Inko screamed out loud in shock.

“I’m sure your mother is very proud,” Nedzu laughed. “I will let you return to your dinner. Move in will be Friday of next week, I have included a single day license to allow you to fly with your companion to campus. Now come Mr. Midoriya, to _your_ hero academy.”

The hologram died out and Izuku sat there in shock. He probably would have sat there for hours if not for the sudden noise of his mother bursting into cheers.

“Oh Izuku you did it!” she cried as she did her best to crush the life out him with her arms.

“Indeed,” Toshi laughed. “The highest score ever recorded too.”

Hearing that his mother burst into a fountain of tears, clutching Izuku even closer.

“Careful Inko!” Toshi warned as he grabbed the plates off the table and held them high above the deluge of salty tears. “We don’t want you to flood dinner!”

***

Izuku was laying back in the grass, staring up at Jade flying in the night sky. He could only tell where the dragon was by the absence of the stars. He probably would have fallen asleep like that, but he could feel Toshi making his way towards him.

The large hero sat down in the grass next to him, resting on his arms as he looked up. Izuku watched out of the corner of his eye, never bothering to turn his head.

“You should be very proud of yourself young Midoriya,” Toshi told him. “Your mother and I both are.”

“Thank you Toshi,” Izuku said with a soft smile. “That means a lot.”

“Are you excited?” Toshi asked.

“Yes,” Izuku nodded. “And no.”

“No?” Toshi laughed softly. “What is holding you back?”

“I worry,” Izuku sighed softly. “My mother will be all alone in this big house.”

“Your mother is a strong woman,” Toshi assured him. “You do not need to worry for her.”

“But she is my mother and so I will,” Izuku told him. “I know what you’re thinking Toshi. I know why you were at UA.”

Izuku waited to see if Toshi would say anything, but when his silence was all that followed, he continued.

“It’s okay to want to retire,” Izuku said. “But it’s okay to live a little now too. She doesn’t need someone to take care of her, but she could use some company Toshi.”

“R-right,” Toshi agreed hastily.

“Just don’t break her heart,” Izuku warned him as he closed his eyes.

“Never,” Toshi promised.

***

Izuku and Jade touched down just outside the gates of UA. It was move in day, and tomorrow they’d start at UA. It might not have exactly been the beginning of their training, but it was still a big step towards their goals.

“Mr. Midoriya,” the chipper voice of the President called out.

“President Nedzu,” Izuku bowed.

“And I do not believe I have been introduced to your companion,” Nedzu chirped. He turned to Jade. “Greetings. I am President Nedzu.”

_I like this one,_ Jade projected to them both as his rumbling laugh filled the air. _I am Jade._

“A pleasure,” Nedzu bowed. “Now All Might warned me that you two are accustomed to lodging together. Would you like to continue this arrangement?”

“Yes,” Izuku nodded.

“Perfect,” Nedzu smiled. “Then follow me please.”

Nedzu turned and led them through campus. The main part of the campus was relatively small. The classroom building was front and center when you walked through the gate. Inside were all of the classrooms, the auditorium, and the cafeteria. The dorms were clustered by year, each on a different side of the green behind the classroom building. Nedzu led them to the first-year dorm cluster, and then to the first building.

“Welcome to Heights Alliance,” Nedzu told them with a wave of his hand. “These are the dorms for class 1-A. I went ahead and had Cementoss put in a special addition on the roof. Let me know if anything needs adjusting.”

“Thank you, President Nedzu,” Izuku bowed.

“Think nothing of its Mr. Midoriya,” Nedzu dismissed his thanks with a wave of his paw. “Ensuring that every student here at UA is well taken of is my job as President. You and Jade are now under my care and I take that very seriously.”

“Okay sir,” Izuku nodded.

“Now go, go,” Nedzu laughed. “I have places to be and people to scare. Relax and make yourself at home.”

“Yes sir!” Izuku agreed with a single nod. He hurried over to Jade and hopped back up into the saddle. _Come on Jade. Let’s go check out our new home._

 _Gladly,_ Jade hummed. His massive wings spread out and the two took to the air.


	2. Hero Training Begins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Classes begin at UA and Izuku gets to know his classmates

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Italics are thoughts, telepathic and otherwise
> 
> Bold is the ancient language

Momo counted the students in the room a second time. There was no doubt about it, they were only at nineteen.

“We’re missing someone,” Momo announced to the group.

“What no way!” Ashido, an excitable girl with pink skin, shouted. It had been her idea to do the meet and greet and she had roped Momo into helping her. “I went to all the rooms!”

“Maybe they haven’t moved in yet,” Kaminari, a boy who had blond hair with a black streak in it, commented.

“Today was the only day available for move in,” Iida reminded them. Thank god there was at least one familiar face in the group. “If they have not moved in already then they are late and that is unacceptable for future heroes such as ourselves.”

“Relax man,” Kirishima, a boy with spikey red hair, laughed with a shark toothed grin. “I’m sure it’s fine.”

Momo went over to the room directory that had been provided. She went floor by floor, looking for anyone who she hadn’t met yet. She made it all the way to the end of the list before she found them. Midoriya Izuku, boy’s side, sixth floor.

“Wait, sixth floor?” Ashido’s voice rang out beside her. “But there are only five floors?”

“Well that can’t be right,” Momo shook her h ead.

“Why don’t we go check it out!” Hagakure called. Momo was still getting used to trying to find where the invincible girl was.

“Yeah!” several students shouted in agreement.

There was a rush towards the stairs, every member of 1-A tripping over themselves as they ran up. Everyone wanted to be the first one to find the mysterious sixth floor. Momo just sighed and followed behind them. There were stairs leading up from the fifth floor, but Momo could already see the sunlight coming through the door at the top. Still the other students were rushing through, so she followed.

Stepping out the door, Momo saw something she didn’t expect. Set up on the roof was a little bungalow. It was quite a wide little building, even if it was only a single story. It had plain walls, the same color as the rest of the dorms, no windows on this side, and two doors. The first door was what you’d expect, a plain wooden piece with a peephole and a knocker. The other door was more like a giant hole in the wall. It was a perfect circular hole, the diameter the same as the height of the building, and its only barrier was a heavy black cloth.

Several students were already arguing in front of the building.

“We can’t just barge in!” Iida insisted.

“Why not man?” Sero, the boy with tape dispenser elbows, laughed. “I mean it’s not like it’s locked or anything.”

“Yeah, but it someone’s dorm, kerro,” Asui, the girl with the frog mutation, said…croaked?

“Who the hell’d get an entire house as a dorm room?” Bakugo, the angry ash blond, snapped. “If anyone deserves special privileges it’s me! Not some two-bit extra!”

Momo just shook her head. She walked up to the door, the wooden one, and knocked. The sound got all of the other students to stop arguing and turn to the door. They waited only a moment before the door opened.

Standing in the now open doorway was an elf out of one of Momo’s novels. His long pointy ears and angular features were captivating. They almost clashed with his kind green eyes and long dark green hair, but they didn’t. The boy was tall too, a good ten centimeters taller than her, which meant he was one of the tallest in the class. Unlike the other tall boys though he wasn’t bulky, his form was agile and slim.

“Hello,” the boy greeted as his eyes went from Momo to the crowd of students behind her. Momo realized she’d been staring and quickly blinked away the awkwardness. The boy bowed. “My name is-”

Two shouts cut the boy off at once.

“It’s you!” Uraraka cried, but if anyone but Momo heard she’d be surprised because at the same time explosions ripped across the roof.

“DEKU!” Bakugo screamed as he launched himself towards the boy. He slammed into other students, knocking them out of the way. The green haired boy stepped between Momo and Bakugo before he reached them. Bakugo slammed into the boy, grabbing his plain white shirt with smoking fists. “What the fuck are you doing here?”

“I’m a student here,” the boy answered calmly, his voice was so smooth and gentle.

“Yeah right,” Bakugo scoffed. “Like you or that little iguana of yours has what it takes to make it into UA.”

A sound like an angry chainsaw washed over the students at Bakugo’s words. Momo turned in time to see the black curtains split around a massive form. It was easily the size of an SUV. And then, once the curtains fell away and revealed the massive head, the rest of the creature emerged. Several students screamed in shock and fear.

The creature’s light green scales and black spikes glimmered in the sunlight as it towered over the students. It stomped towards where Bakugo and the boy were still standing, the students rushing out of its way. As it reached them, its long neck curved downward, its head stopping just before the two boys. It opened its mouth and a wave of heat rolled through the air. Momo stumbled backwards into the wall of the bungalow. Bakugo, to his credit, just sneered at the creature.

“You think I’m scared of some lizard,” Bakugo sneered as he turned back towards the green haired boy.

_I’m glad you haven’t changed Bakugo,_ a voice rumbled in Momo’s head. It was telepathy she realized. The voice was deep and menacing. _It will make stomping you into the earth all the more satisfying._

Bakugo looked at the creature with clear shock on his face. It quickly morphed back into anger.

“The fuck you just say to me you moldy ass lizard?” Bakugo barked.

The creature took a deep breath and roared in Bakugo’s face. The sound was louder than anything Momo had ever heard. It was a deep horrible sound, like something out of her nightmares. It shook Momo to her very core.

Bakugo took an involuntary step backwards as spittle and hot air flew into his face.

“Jade,” the green haired boy called, cutting the dragon off instantly with his words. The silence that followed seemed thick as the boy took a handful of steps. He ignored the stunned Bakugo and knelt beside Jiro. Momo hadn’t seen her collapse. She was on her knees clutching at her ears in pain, blood leaking out from between her fingers.

**“Heill älfrinns eyreya,”** the boy commanded as he placed his hands over Jiro’s. Momo didn’t know what it meant, but the words seemed to almost hum with power.

The pain melted from Jiro’s features. She looked up at the boy with an awed wonder that was reflected on several other student’s faces. The boy pulled his hands away and Jiro did the same after a moment, staring at the blood smeared across them.

“I’m sorry,” the boy apologized. It was as though he were speaking only to her and he were unaware of the crowd around them. “Normally I would have warned you before healing you, but you were in too much pain to reach.”

“I-it’s cool,” Jiro stuttered.

_I am sorry as well little hero,_ the voice rumbled again as the creature turned to face Jiro. Its large green eyes focusing in on her where she was kneeling. The voice was clearly the same, but it couldn’t have sounded more different. Now it sounded soft and almost warm. _It was not my intention to harm you._

“N-no worries,” she told the creature, paling a little as she looked up at the enormous head.

The boy stood straight once again, the motion was so smooth and graceful. Momo didn’t know standing could be beautiful. He moved like flowing water. The boy’s eyes scanned the crowd of students.

“Let me try that again,” the boy huffed. “Hello, my name is Midoriya Izuku. It’s a pleasure to meet you all.”

The boy gave a small bow. No one said anything as they all stared at the mysterious addition to their ranks. The boy just waited, holding his bow as the class all tried to break out of their confusion.

“That was manly as hell!” Kirishima exclaimed.

While not the most refined response, it served the purpose of breaking everyone out of their stupors. A number of other cheers and compliments rained down on Midoriya.

He straightened up with a small smile on his face. “Thank you,” he nodded. He looked around again. His eyebrows knit together ever so slightly before he continued. “I’m afraid I don’t know most of your names.”

“Oh yeah!” Ashido yelled. “That’s why we were coming up here! We were going to do a meet and greet downstairs.”

“Will the dragon fit?” Asui asked.

_No,_ the creature laughed, the sound of his laughter rumbling through air and shaking the floor. _Do not worry. Izuku will tell me about you all._

“Right,” Ashido nodded. She grabbed Midoriya by the hand and began dragging him away. “We’ll have right back to you Mr. Scary Dragon Dude!”

The creature, dragon Momo supposed was a good term for it, bared its massive razor-sharp teeth at that. It took Momo a moment to realize it was a smile.

The dragon’s massive eye’s flickered over to Momo, they seemed to glint with mischief.

_Yes?_ The dragon asked, his tone almost sounded teasing.

Momo looked around and squeaked when she realized she was the last one on the roof, distracted in her observation of the dragon.

“Sorry,” she screamed as she slammed down into a bow. She ran off the roof as quick as she could, her face burning with embarrassment.

***

“Why don’t we go around and introduce ourselves,” the girl with pink skin offered. “We can give our names and our quirks.”

Izuku fought hard not to roll his eyes at that.

_You knew they’d ask eventually,_ Jade reminded him.

_I just don’t understand why everyone is so obsessed about quirks,_ Izuku sighed to the dragon. _It doesn’t tell us anything about someone just to know their quirk._

 _Then listen to what else they say,_ Jade yawned. _I’m going to take a nap._

“I’ll start,” the pink girl continued. “My name is Ashido Mina. You guys can call me Mina though. My quirk is Acid. I can produce acid from anywhere on my body. I can also control the potency and viscosity. I hope we can all be friends!”

She sat back down in her seat on the couch and motioned to the girl sitting next to her. It was the girl who had knocked on his door earlier. She was just as breath taking now. Her face was almost regal in its beauty.

“Hello,” she greeted. “My name is Yaoyorozu Momo. My quirk is Creation. I can create anything I know the atomic make up of by using my body’s lipid stores.”

She sat back down. Short and to the point, but not rude. The way she phrased her explanation of her quirk made Izuku curious. It would require an insane level of study to produce anything beyond basic elements, but she sounded like she’d put in the work.

The next person to stand was a boy. Izuku recognized him as the serious boy who had tried to call out his clothing at the entrance exam.

“Greetings,” he declared. “My name is Iida Tenya. My quirk is Engine. I have engines in my calves that run off of citric acid.” With that he sat back down.

The boy had spoken as if he was giving a nervous book report. He was clearly very serious. Maybe with a little time he could relax though.

This pattern continued, each student introducing themselves and their quirk as they went around the circle. Some students’ self-descriptions were quite informative. Kirishima told them his favorite hero was Crimson Riot, which Izuku thought said a lot about him and definitely explained his exclamations about things being manly. Others’ introductions were vaguer. Even among those though Izuku could tell Tsuyu was very blunt and Todoroki thought the group introductions were a waste of time. The only one who’s introduction truly left him with nothing was Shoji’s short greeting.

He was quite pleased to see Uraraka had made it in. So too had the boy with gravity defying purple hair. The boy’s name was Shinso and he had a brainwashing quirk. The way he had told them his quirk was as though he was scared of it himself. That wasn’t good.

The only quirk that really interested him though was Tokoyami’s. He had an actual companion quirk. Izuku had never met anyone with one, and after being told that that was what he had for so long he was curious to see what they were like. Tokoyami’s companion, Dark Shadow, seemed to have some sentience too. He very much wanted to get to talk to both of them.

Finally, it was his turn. He stood up and gave a small wave.

“Hello again,” Izuku chuckled. “My name is Midoriya Izuku. You all met Jade already. He was the dragon on the roof.”

“But what’s your quirk?” Sero called out.

“Yeah man!” Kirishima agreed. “You’ve got a sick ass dragon, but you healed Jiro up there too. How’d you do that?”

“Through my bond with Jade I have access to a lot of abilities,” Izuku explained. “One of them allows me to heal others as you saw.”

Izuku heard Bakugo scoff and several other students murmur to those around them. Yaoyorozu raised her hand. Izuku just quirked an eyebrow at her. He wasn’t about to call on her like this was a classroom.

“Well,” Yaoyorozu hummed. She bit at her bottom lip, something that made Izuku’s mouth feel dry all of a sudden. “I wanted to ask what language you were speaking. I didn’t recognize it.”

“Oh,” Izuku chuckled. He scratched at the back of his head a little nervously. “It’s an older dead language. A little like Latin. That’s probably why it was hard to recognize.”

“I see,” Yaoyorozu nodded.

“Alright guys enough with the third degree,” Mina laughed. “I think it’s about time we bust out some party games!”

“Yeah!” Kaminari cheered. “I brought some video games, let me go grab one of my systems and we can set it up on the TV!”

“Do you have the latest smash heroes?” Tsuyu asked.

“For sure!” Kaminari yelled as he disappeared up the stairs.

Izuku decided that it was probably better to sit back and watch. He didn’t really have much experience with video games. He watched as everybody partnered up into teams and began talking about preferred heroes.

Yaoyorozu was the only other one who wasn’t going to be playing. She made her way over to where Izuku was sitting and took the spot next to him on the couch.

“Do you not want to play?” Yaoyorozu asked him.

“I’ve never played before,” he confessed. “I’m fine with watching for tonight.”

“I’ve not played either,” Yaoyorozu said with a laugh. It was a nice sound. “May I watch with you?”

“Of course,” Izuku nodded.

Together they watched as Tsuyu and Uraraka crushed everyone who dared to go against them. They didn’t really talk much, but Izuku had a good time. The game was a little boring to watch, but seeing his classmates get into it was nice. Someone ordered a bunch of pizzas for everyone. Izuku was happy to grab a slice of cheese and relax.

As the night wore on, more and more people said their goodbyes and turned in. Eventually Izuku decided it was late enough for bed too.

“I’m going to head up,” Izuku sighed as he stood. “I’ll see you in the morning for class.”

“Yes,” Yaoyorozu nodded. “Probably best for me to get some sleep as well.”

Izuku smiled at her and the two parted way. Izuku got back up to his and Jade’s dorm. He still couldn’t believe Nedzu had arranged something like this for them. It was one massive room with a bed for both Izuku and Jade. The bed for Jade was a massive cushion placed in a half dome dip in the floor. There was a desk and a private bath, it was honestly a little decadent.

_Did you have fun?_ Jade asked as Izuku prepared for bed.

“Yeah,” Izuku nodded. “It was nice. They seem like good people.”

_That’s good,_ Jade yawned. _Are you ready for tomorrow?_

“It’s the first day,” Izuku shrugged as he got into the bed next to Jade. Jade draped his wing over Izuku. “How bad can it be?”

***

Momo sat at breakfast and tried her best not to worry about the oncoming day of classes. It was only the first day. With the president’s welcome speech and them needing to cover the syllabus they wouldn’t have time for much anyways. So, she did her best to put aside her worries and enjoy the pancakes Sato had made for everyone.

“Has everyone gotten pancakes?” Sato called from the kitchen.

“I don’t think Midoriya has come down yet,” Kirishima called back.

“Can someone go get him?” Sato asked. “I’ll throw on a couple for him.”

“I’ll go,” Momo offered as she finished off her own breakfast.

Momo headed up the stairs of the boy’s side and back to the rooftop bungalow that was Midoriya’s dorm. She opened up the door and blinked hard to try and let her eyes adjust to the bright morning sun. What she saw when she could finally see again made her blush.

Midoriya was standing in the open air. His shirt was off and there was a sword in his hand. Momo couldn’t help but notice the powerful muscles that clung to his slender frame. He moved with elegance as he swung the sword through the air. He lunged at an invisible enemy before rolling across the roof in a dodge. He popped back up, spinning to face towards Momo as he rose.

As his eyes landed on her, he straightened out of his ready stance and lowered the sword. Momo tried her best not to stare at his bare chest or the way he almost glowed in the morning light.

“Good morning Yaoyorozu,” he greeted her. His green eyes sparkled in the morning light.

“G-good morning,” Momo stammered.

“Is something wrong?” Midoriya asked with a tilt of his head.

“No!” Momo nearly shouted. She could feel the blush still burning across her cheeks. “Sato was making pancakes. He asked if I could come let you know.”

“Ah,” Midoriya smiled. “Thank you for letting me know. I’ll be down in a just a moment.”

“Right,” Momo nodded.

She quickly turned away and rushed back downstairs. She didn’t slow down until she was back in the common room. She earned a few odd looks as she ran in. The almost knowing smile Mina gave her almost had her blush coming back.

“You good Yaomomo?” she teased.

Momo stood up straight and fixed her rumpled uniform. “Yes,” she nodded. “He’ll be down in a moment.”

***

Izuku was one of the last ones to leave the dorms. After his morning training he had showered before heading downstairs to grab some breakfast. Sato’s pancakes were quite good, though a bit too sweet for his tastes. Jade was walking beside him, having flown down once Izuku was out of the building, and together they made their way to the classroom building.

_You know you still won’t fit in the building,_ Izuku reminded him.

_No,_ Jade chuckled. _But it would not do for them to think only of you._

Izuku just rolled his eyes. His mind began to wander as they walked. Saphira had been asleep for a few weeks now. She had told him that he was ready to go to UA and that they would continue their training later, but neither he nor Jade really knew how long that meant. She had never slept for this long before.

_Do not worry for her little warrior,_ Jade comforted him. _She deserves the chance to rest._

 _I know,_ Izuku sighed. _I just wish she could have been with us. We’ve been training as Dragon and Rider for so long. Now we get to train as heroes! I wish she could see it is all._

 _She will Izuku,_ Jade assured him. His confidence spread across their link and helped Izuku feel a little better. As they made it to the backdoor, even smaller than the doors on the front of the building, Jade shook his head and laughed. _Go on little warrior, I shall wait here._

Izuku placed a hand on Jade’s side. _I’m sorry,_ he thought. _It isn’t fair that you are left behind like this._

Jade rumbled a chuckle. _It is only a class Izuku,_ he reminded him. _I will still be with you through our minds._

 _I know,_ Izuku nodded.

_Good,_ Jade said. _Then it is time for you to get going. You will be late otherwise._

Jade lowered his head and gave Izuku a gentle shove towards the building. Izuku stumbled through the door and headed up to the 1-A classroom. He could already hear the arguments within from the stairs. Izuku just sighed and headed in.

He ignored Bakugo and Iida fighting over what basically amounted to their clashing personalities and made his way to his seat. Izuku closed his eyes and tried to relax a little before the start of class. He kept his presence extended, gently touching the mind of each classmate the way Saphira had taught him. He felt someone approaching, but he didn’t think much of it. They were probably just gonna try and break up the fight between Iida and Bakugo.

“Hey Midoriya,” they called, going against all of Izuku’s reasonings.

Izuku opened his eyes and found Uraraka waiting patiently beside his desk with a smile. He smiled back at her. “Good morning Uraraka,” he greeted.

“I didn’t get the chance to talk to you yesterday,” she explained. “I just wanted to say congratulations on making it in!”

“To you as well,” Izuku nodded. “It is nice to have at least one familiar face in class.”

_Finding a girlfriend already?_ Jade teased.

_Shush you,_ Izuku laughed.

_Or perhaps you have another girl in mind,_ Jade continued.

An image of Yaoyorozu flashed through his mind, but Izuku honestly couldn’t tell if it was from him or Jade. He tried not to blush as Jade shook with laughter down below.

“I know right,” Uraraka cheered, unaware of the other conversation she had sparked. “I was so nervous I’d get here and not know anybody.”

“If you’re here to make friends you can leave,” a voice called from the open doorway and commanded silence from the room.

For a moment there was no one there. Then a strange yellow mass rose from the floor and revealed the disheveled face of the man who spoke. He held a pouch to his lips and quickly downed its contents.

“My name is Aizawa Shouta,” he told them as he slipped out of his yellow cocoon and slouched to the front of the classroom. “I am your homeroom teacher.”

There were several doubtful murmurs around the room at the man’s claim.

Aizawa held up a stack of blue. “Put these on,” he said as he dropped the stack on his desk. “Meet me at the sports field in ten minutes. Don’t be late.”

With that he left. The students of 1-A sat stunned for half a moment before making a mad dash to the desk. Izuku waited for the rush to die down before he made his way up. On the desk were a handful of blue UA PE uniforms, each with a name taped onto it. Izuku grabbed his and followed the crowd to the changing rooms.

Even with his delayed start he was one of the first to the sports field. Before long though the rest of the students arrived.

“You took too long,” Aizawa sighed. “Learn to change faster or risk being left behind. Today we’re going to be doing a quirk apprehension test.”

“What about the president’s speech?” Yaoyorozu asked.

“The president says welcome,” Aizawa told her. “Nothing else of consequence will be said that we can’t go over later. Instead, you will be showing me what you can do.”

Izuku could hear the soft conversations that broke out around him. The other students were getting excited.

“Midoriya,” Aizawa called.

“Yes sir,” Izuku stepped forward. Aizawa flicked a softball at Izuku, which he caught.

“How far could you throw a softball in middle school?” he asked.

“The field could only measure to 100 meters sir,” Izuku told him.

Aizawa raised an eyebrow at him, but he didn’t push it. “Try it with that,” Aizawa told him. “You can do whatever you want, just don’t leave the circle.”

Izuku stepped into the chalk circle Aizawa had pointed to and tossed the softball in his hand. He got an idea of the things weight. It was light. He could probably have thrown it quite far. But that wasn’t really in the spirit of things.

**“Rise,”** Izuku commanded, the white-hot bubble of his magic filling him. The softball rose from his palm and hovered about six inches in the air. The students around him began to murmur in surprise. **“Go.”**

The ball streaked through the air with a resounding crack. It flew up and away and before long it was nothing but a speck that even Izuku could not follow. With the light weight of the ball, the drain on his reserves was miniscule. He held the spell for a minute, waiting in the circle as he did, before finally releasing it and allowing the ball to fall where it may.

Izuku turned to Aizawa and waited for his results. Aizawa turned the tablet in his hand first to Izuku and then to the rest of the students. Shock ran through the crowd of students.

“3 kilometers!” Kirishima shouted as Izuku headed back to join them. “Dude that’s so manly!”

“Knowing your limits is the first step of being a hero,” Aizawa droned on in a bored tone. “We’ll be doing the standard fitness tests today. You’ll be using your quirks.”

Several excited exclamations came from the gathered students.

“This is gonna be so much fun!” Mina cheered.

“Maybe, but that’s not really the point,” Izuku commented. “Not knowing what your limits are is how you make mistakes. Mistakes get people killed.”

Izuku hadn’t realized all of the students were listening to him, but the silence that followed his words was heavy. Izuku looked around and saw the students looking at him with conviction on their faces. That was good.

The swift breeze that swept through the gathered students was all the warning most of them got before Jade slammed into the earth behind them. There were several screams and some students fell to their knees or on their butts from the shaking of the earth.

_I will be participating,_ Jade informed the gathered students and teacher.

“Obviously,” Aizawa huffed. “Now let’s get started.”

The first event was not the softball throw, but the fifty-meter sprint. Aizawa had the students go up in pairs and race. When Izuku’s turn came he was pleased with his score of 2 seconds. But after all the students went Aizawa tried to move onto the next event.

_I have not gone yet,_ Jade growled. _I thought I made it clear that I would be participating._

Aizawa turned to the dragon with a bored tilt of his head. “Midoriya has already gone,” he told Jade.

_And_ I _have not,_ he said again. _Izuku and I are a team, but we do not have the same limits._

Aizawa shrugged. “Fine,” he sighed. “Go ahead.”

Jade walked over to the starting line and crouched down in a ready position. He was large enough that he took up almost the entire track, not just the two lanes the students had been using. When the starting beep sounded, Jade leapt the entire fifty meters in a single bound.

“1.7 seconds,” the timer beeped.

“Moving on,” Aizawa called.

The next several events went smoothly. For grip strength Izuku credited his score in the low thousands to his daily practice with a sword. Jade crushed his tester beneath his massive weight. Both Jade and Izuku cleared the pit for the standing long jump. Seated toe touch was interesting. Izuku did well, bending so his chest was flat against his knees, but no one could hope to match Jade who simply laid down and allowed his massive length to give him first place. Izuku’s stamina earned him first in the sit ups, an event that Jade had to accept an automatic zero for as he couldn’t preform them.

The entire time Izuku kept his mind extended. He could feel the conviction of his classmates as they fought to get the best scores. It was invigorating in a way. But the growing rage he felt rolling off of Bakugo’s mind was dampening the mood.

When they got back to the ball throw though he could tell the blond was ready to explode. As he marched into the circle for the ball throw Izuku could already see the sweat pouring down his arms. His jaw was clenched and the scowl on his face was one that screamed murder.

As Bakugo pulled back his arm Izuku decided to spare his classmates, especially Jiro, from any pain Bakugo was going to cause.

**“Silence,”** he commanded as he raised his palm towards Bakugo.

Whatever the blond screamed was never heard. The explosion was silent. There was instead an eerie calm as the students watched the silent seen. Izuku could actually hear the sighs of relief around him.

Bakugo was instantly in an outrage. He spun on his heel and faced the students screaming words that they couldn’t hear. A couple of students actually laughed at the strange scene, which only made Bakugo’s anger worse. He threw himself towards them, palms exploding behind him.

He never reached them though. Aizawa caught him in the strange scarf that he wore, eyes glowing red and his hair rising around him.

Bakugo writhed against the capture weapon but he was firmly trapped. His explosions refused to come.

Aizawa’s eye flicked to Izuku, but he just stood there and watched as Bakugo silently struggled.

_He’s like an animal,_ Jade commented.

Izuku didn’t respond but he couldn’t stop the smirk that spread across his face.

“Enough,” Aizawa called. “Bakugo stop making me use my quirk. It gives me dry eye. You are not to go attacking other students. If I even hear of another incident like this, then you will be expelled and removed from campus. Do I make myself clear?”

Bakugo stopped struggling and gave a single angry nod. Aizawa released him from the capture tape and pulled out a thing of eyedrops. After he had put a few in he turned to Izuku.

“Release your quirk Midoriya,” Aizawa told him.

Izuku shrugged and let the spell end.

The last few students went for the ball throw and then it was Jade’s turn. After a funny moment where Aizawa decided that it was Jade’s head that could not leave the circle, Jade picked up the softball with his teeth. He took a deep inhale, similar to what he does before he breathes fire, and spit the ball as far as he could.

“110 meters,’ Aizawa announced.

They moved onto the final event, the endurance run. Izuku crouched at the starting line with an excited grin. He loved running. It wasn’t as good as flying, but it was still exhilarating with his speed. As Aizawa called for them to start he took off like an arrow from a bow.

Rocketing around the track, Izuku took notice of those who were keeping up. Jade was flying above him. The dragon was clearly holding back, but Izuku didn’t mind. The objective of the event wasn’t speed but endurance. Behind them he could hear the roar of engines. He turned and saw Iida running at a full sprint. He seemed to be growing faster the longer he ran. He was slightly surprised to see Yaoyorozu keeping pace on an electric bike as well. It made sense though. She’d proven to Izuku that she’d definitely put in the work to use her quirk to its full potential. She’d been in the top three of almost every single event.

Laughing that he was so easily matched Izuku picked up the speed a little more. It wasn’t his top speed, but speed wasn’t the purpose of the exercise. He just wanted to push the others and see what they could do.

When he lapped Iida for the first time, he could see the clear frustration on his face. But he also saw the determination. Iida doubled down and pushed himself harder. For a moment, the two of them were perfectly in pace with each other. But then the other boy flagged. Iida stumbled a single step and suddenly his cadence was broken. He never quite managed to get back up to the same speed.

Eventually the others wore out. The last three on the track were Izuku, Jade, and Yaoyorozu. Izuku was still going strong and he knew Jade could fly on for a while still. So, when he was passing by Yaoyorozu again he slowed down to keep pace with her.

“Do you know how long your bike can last?” Izuku asked her.

She jumped slightly and looked to see him running along beside her.

“With the battery I created it should be able to run for another couple hours,” she told him.

“I’ll let Aizawa know then,” he sighed. He didn’t really want to be running around the track for the rest of the day. He extended his mind across the field and brushed against Aizawa. He was filled with curiosity about something and a deep exhaustion.

_Aizawa,_ Izuku called. He could feel Aizawa’s shock and anger. Though he didn’t understand what the anger was about.

_“I swear to god if this is the problem child,”_ Aizawa muttered. _“Midoriya is that you?”_

 _Yes sir,_ Izuku confirmed. _I just wanted to let you know that it will be several hours before Yaoyorozu’s bike runs out of batteries._

 _“And what about you, problem child?”_ Aizawa asked with a sigh.

_Oh, I could run like this all day,_ Izuku laughed. He let the truth of his sentence ring in his very words so that Aizawa would know he wasn’t bluffing.

_“And the dragon?”_ Aizawa groaned.

 _Jade could fly across Japan if he really tried,_ Izuku answered.

_“Fine,”_ Aizawa spat. _“You all tie for first.”_

 _Thank you Aizawa,_ Izuku smiled.

“We can stop at the end of this lap Yaoyorozu,” Izuku said aloud.

She raised an eyebrow at him.

“I talked to Aizawa,” he shrugged. “He agreed the three of us would tie for first.”

“Seems reasonable,” she nodded. “Thank you for that.”

The three of them came to a stop as they came back around to where the other students had gathered. They were greeted with halfhearted cheers and claps from the exhausted group.

“Alright I’m going to share your results,” Aizawa announced. “Your placement is nothing more than a starting point. If you are dissatisfied with your results than put in the effort to improve.”

He held the tablet out flat and a holographic display with their results popped up. Izuku was in first, Jade behind him in second. Yaoyorozu had earned third place. Izuku gave her a smile when he saw.

“All right you’re dismissed,” Aizawa told them. “There’s a copy of the heroics syllabus in your emails. Read it by tomorrow. Midoriya come with me.”

With that Aizawa turned and began walking away. All eyes turned and watched Izuku. He just shrugged and walked after their teacher, Jade following behind.

The three of them walked back to the classroom building. Once they made it close to the door Aizawa simply stopped and waited. Izuku stood before him. He could have asked what they were doing, but Aizawa would tell him when he needed to know.

After a few minutes of waiting, the door to the classroom building opened and President Nedzu walked out.

“Hello Mr. Midoriya,” President Nedzu greeted him with a smile.

“Mr. President,” Izuku nodded.

Nedzu turned to Aizawa. “So, what can I do for the two of you today?” Nedzu asked cheerily.

Aizawa instantly turned to face Izuku. “I’d like to know about your quirk,” Aizawa explained.

“What would you like to know?” Izuku asked with a tilt of his head.

Aizawa scowled at the question. “Everything,” he grunted. “Your quirk registration has you down as having a simple small sized companion quirk with animalistic intelligence. It’s clearly out of date. You should have had it updated years ago. I would like an explanation of your inaction as well as the proper details concerning your quirk.”

Izuku sighed. “Quirk, quirk, quirk,” he shook his head. “I feel like I’m back in that doctor’s office when I was five. I could explain things, but like him you would hear only what you chose to.”

“Try me,” Aizawa growled.

Nedzu just watched the interaction silently. Izuku’s eyes flickered to the president and found him wearing a gleeful smile. He turned back to Aizawa and rolled his eyes at his dire expression.

“I was five when I met Jade,” Izuku told them. “I found his egg in the woods behind the park I liked to play in.”

“Found?” Aizawa repeated as his scowl deepened.

“Our master once called it fate,” Izuku shrugged. He held up his hand and showed off the silvery mark on his palm. “That day Jade chose me as his rider.”

“So then what exactly is your quirk?” Aizawa asked.

“Weren’t you listening Aizawa?” Nedzu laughed. Both Izuku and Aizawa turned to see the joyful expression on the president’s face. “He doesn’t have one!”

“Ridiculous,” Aizawa scoffed. “Even if the dragon is a remnant of someone else’s quirk, Midoriya has displayed increase strength, agility, and stamina. Not to mention the clear emitter type quirk he displayed in both the exam and the ball throw.”

“Can you cancel it?” Nedzu asked, genuine curiosity dripping in his voice.

“Not once it’s in place,” Aizawa told him.

“Have you tried before he activates it?” Nedzu pushed.

“No,” Aizawa growled.

“Mr. Midoriya, if you would,” Nedzu prompted him excitedly.

Izuku turned to Aizawa who’s eyes were already glowing red, his hair and capture weapon rising off of his shoulders.

Izuku looked Aizawa square in the eyes and held his hand aloft. He let the bubble of magic spread through him, taking great joy in the heat as it burned through his veins. **“Fire,”** Izuku summoned. The bright white flames danced on his palm. They bathed the small group in heat.

“Wonderful!” Nedzu cheered. “Thank you for the demonstration Mr. Midoriya.”

Izuku let the spell go and dropped his hand back down.

“So what do you think now Aizawa?” Nedzu chirped.

“Fine,” he spat. “I still want an explanation.”

“That seems reasonable,” Nedzu laughed. He turned back to Izuku. “It _is_ in the best interest of UA to have a full understanding of your abilities to best prepare you to be a hero.”

“Yes sir,” Izuku nodded. “Let’s see I have increased strength, speed, agility, reaction time, senses, and endurance. I have trained to use a sword and a bow. I am skilled in leather work, metal work, and farming. I can access the minds of others to communicate and read their thoughts and emotions. If I delve deeper, I can access a persons’ memories as well. I also have access to magic.”

Aizawa scoffed. “And how does this magic work?” Nedzu asked.

“Through the use of the ancient language of the grey folk I am able to exert my will upon the world,” Izuku explained. “As long as I have the energy required to do it myself, I am limited only by my vocabulary and my imagination.”

“Fascinating,” Nedzu cheered. “Any other abilities?”

“I don’t think so,” Izuku shook his head. “Jade?”

_Our bond makes you ageless,_ Jade said.

“Then you would be five,” Aizawa pointed out.

Izuku shrugged. “I guess that’s one we’ll just have to wait and see about then,” he chuckled.

“Wonderful,” Nedzu clapped his hands together. “I would like a more detailed explanation of Jade’s origin and this master you have spoken of. But that can wait for another day.”

“Yes sir,” Izuku nodded.

“I’ll have you both over for tea sometime,” Nedzu laughed. “Though I might have to buy Mr. Jade a special cup.”

With that he sent Izuku and Jade off to rejoin their classmates in the dorms. The last Izuku saw he was walking into the classroom building with Aizawa close on his heels.

***

Izuku was relaxing in the common room with Jade. It had taken a little while to figure out how to let Jade hang out with everyone. In the end they had opened the window next to the couch and moved the ottoman so Jade could rest his head on it. Now Izuku was sitting next to the enormous head of the dragon in an otherwise empty common room as he scratched at Jade’s scales.

“Midoriya,” Uraraka called when she spotted him from the girl’s side. She excitedly ran over to where he was sitting. “You got Jade in!”

“In a way,” he chuckled.

“I didn’t get the chance to talk to you two at all today after Aizawa started class,” Uraraka complained.

Izuku could feel the curiosity filling Jade, but he ignored it.

“Oh?” Izuku asked. “Was there something you wished to discuss?”

Uraraka huffed. “Don’t be like that,” she rolled her eyes. “We’re friends, aren’t we?”

Jade’s laughter rumbled through the room. _Oh, I like this one,_ he said, allowing Uraraka to hear him as well.

“What do you mean?” Uraraka questioned as she tilted her head and put a hand on her hip.

_Izuku was never one for friends,_ Jade told her. Izuku wanted to defend himself, but Jade kinda had a point. He’d never really made an effort with any of the kids at school. _You will do him good._

“Thank you!” Uraraka smiled. She plopped herself down beside Izuku and looked to Jade. “What else can you tell me about him?”

_I won’t spoil all of his secrets,_ Jade teased her. The sparkle of mischief danced in his eyes. _You’ll have to get to know him yourself._

“I do not need you making friends for me Jade,” Izuku sighed.

_Someone needed to,_ Jade shot back.

“Aw you guys are so cute,” Uraraka cooed. “It must be nice having a best friend as a quirk.”

Izuku and Jade both flinched internally at her phrasing. Hearing the words made a pit form in Izuku’s stomach that made him feel sick. Though maybe they weren’t as subtle as they thought since her brow furrowed in confusion.

“I said something wrong,” she observed. “I’m sorry.”

_It is okay little hero,_ Jade assured her. _I should be accustomed to such phrasings._

“No,” Izuku shook his head. He was staring at his fists where he had them clenched in his lap. “No, you shouldn’t.”

_Izuku it’s not your fault,_ Jade told him.

“Yes, it is,” Izuku insisted. He could feel the tears in his eyes already. “It took a single conversation to explain it to Nedzu and Aizawa.”

_Nedzu was willing to listen,_ Jade pointed out.

“I’ll listen,” Uraraka interjected. Izuku felt her put a hand on his shoulder. “I don’t know what’s going on, but I’ll listen to anything you need to say Midoriya. We’re friends. That’s what friends do.”

“You won’t believe me,” Izuku chuckled darkly.

_You won’t know that until you try,_ Jade argued. He could feel the concern and the love through their bond. Jade had never been mad at Izuku for the way the world saw him. Hell, he’d never even cared. He was a dragon, and dragons didn’t care about the opinions of others. Jade had only ever cared that Izuku let it bother him.

“Okay,” Izuku nodded.

He took a deep steadying breath as he closed his eyes. He allowed Jade’s confidence and pride to fill him and smooth out his own feelings. He opened his eyes and looked at Uraraka who sat concerned beside him.

“Jade is not the result of a quirk,” he told her. He tried not to flinch at the way her eyebrows knit together in confusion. “He’s a real dragon.”

“So, then your quirk is just the weird command thing?” Uraraka asked.

Izuku shook his head. “No,” he chuckled. “I think I’m quirkless actually.”

***

“I think I’m quirkless actually,” he told her.

Ochako stared at the boy before her. The boy with the face of an elf and the strength to rival all but the strongest heroes. A boy she had seen do impossible things while speaking in words that literally hummed with power. Someone who could speak directly into her mind. Not to mention he had a literal dragon. And he was telling her that he was quirkless.

She had to bite back her laugh at the shock. He had trusted her with this. Hell, she and Jade had practically dragged it out of him. She couldn’t do that to him.

“How?” she asked instead. The word was almost breathless.

Midoriya looked at Jade with a kind of pride in his eyes and a soft smile on his lips. “I found him,” he told her. His words were nostalgic. “Or I guess I found his egg rather. It was in the woods.”

“He was waiting for someone,” Midoriya continued. “Someone who he would choose to be his rider.”

“His rider?” she asked. She had shifted so that she was fully facing him at this point.

“It’s a bond,” he explained. He was staring at the palm of his right hand. There was a mark there she hadn’t noticed before. A shiny silver scar that spiraled out from the center and glimmered in the light. “One that lasts a lifetime.”

_And I chose you,_ Jade reminded him gently. Ochako could hear the words, but she knew instantly they weren’t meant for her. Jade was staring at Midoriya with the kind of fondness she had only ever seen in her parents’ eyes before. _I would choose you in a thousand lifetimes._

“I know,” Midoriya nodded. He placed a single hand against Jade’s cheek. It was such a small action, but it somehow seemed heavy with emotion.

Jade rumbled happily.

“Thank you,” was the only thing Ochako could even think to say.

Midoriya looked at her with a raised eyebrow. The tears had already dried from his eyes. Seeing someone so normally tranquil brought to tears had been hard on her heart in a way that Ochako had been unprepared for.

“Thank you for trusting me enough to tell me,” she tried again. “I don’t understand it all, but I don’t need to. I’m glad I understand it better.”

_I told you I liked this one,_ Jade laughed. The way it vibrated through the room and shook the walls was terrifying to her, but it was still nice to hear. From the small smile Midoriya gave, he must have thought so too.

***

The next day was a lot more normal than the one before it. Izuku sat through Present Mic’s English 1, Intro to Heroic Art History with Midnight, and Cementoss’ Literature 101 with the same astute attentiveness he gave to all his studies. Saphira was firm in her belief that a rider was a scholar as much as a warrior. It was after a brief lunch break that the course the students were excited for was being held.

“I am coming through the door like a regular person!” Toshi screamed as he stomped into the room. Izuku shook his head fondly. Toshi was wearing his silver age costume, the red and white looking old fashioned these days.

_Toshi always was one for dramatics,_ Jade chuckled.

“Ladies and Gentlemen welcome to Hero Informatics,” Toshi called with a laugh. “You may think of this class as heroics 101. And we’ll be hopping right into the thick of things with this!”

Toshi whipped out a thick card with the word ‘Battle!’ written across it. The students around Izuku began excitedly chattering.

“That’s right!” Toshi boomed. “But before we get started there’s something you all need!”

He pressed a button and twenty slots opened on the wall behind him.

“These were made to your exact specifications,” Toshi told them. “Put them on as fast as you can and meet me at Battle Ground Beta!”

With that he flew from the room. The students were left scrambling after him in their dash towards the cases. Izuku didn’t bother, his cubby was empty. Instead, he headed to the window.

“Midoriya?” Uraraka asked as he opened it up. “What are you doing?”

“Oh, mine’s in my room,” he explained.

“So why are you going to the window?” she laughed.

“It’s faster,” Izuku shrugged as he climbed up onto the windowsill. Several other students noticed and started shouting at him to get down. He laughed as he leapt out into the open air. Jade was already flying up beneath him and grabbed him out of the air.

They flew straight to the dorm and when Jade dropped Izuku, he hit the ground running. He dashed into the bungalow and went straight to the wooden chest he had all the pieces of their armor stored in. He began pulling out the metal plates with a smile.

***

Momo had made her peace with the fact that she needed to show a lot of skin in her hero costume. It was practical. It made perfect sense. It was still a little strange.

She wasn’t the only girl in a revealing outfit. Mina, Uraraka, and Tsuyu were all in skintight body suits. They were just as revealing. Except Momo’s costume had a giant cut down the middle. Well too late to do anything about it now.

She headed out of the changing room and made her way to Ground Beta. She chatted with Jiro as they walked. The two of them had very different tastes in music, but she excited to give the bands Jiro was recommending a try.

As they got closer, they heard the now familiar sound of enormous wings flapping through the air. The green dragon swept over their heads and towards the battle ground. The glint of steel flashed in the sunlight and as the dragon landed, Momo got a good look at it.

The dragon was covered in steel armor. The interlocking plates left only its wings and the bottom of its jaw uncovered. It must have been several hundred pounds of armor. It all felt redundant, but it was a little terrifying to see.

Momo and Jiro joined the growing group of students and Momo took the chance to look at the other costumes. Shinso was there in a black jumpsuit with a strange collar around his neck. Kaminari’s costume looked so similar to Jiro’s that Momo had to do a double take between them. She almost didn’t recognize Iida in the metal armor he was wearing. Its mechanical theme and his iconic hand chopping were what clued her in.

She looked to the dragon and admired the armor that decorated him. It was rather beautifully crafted. Each piece had been shaped individually and then attached to the others by leather straps so that they could slide over each other. It would be incredibly easy to repair and should allow almost full range of motion. It must have cost a fortune.

“I thought there was a price limit on our costumes?” Momo voiced her concerns.

“I crafted Jade’s armor myself,” Midoriya told her with a gentle chuckle.

Momo jumped. She hadn’t realized he had been so close. She turned to face him and tried not to blush at her comment being overheard.

Midoriya was wearing a steel breast plate over a chainmail shirt. He had a sword strapped to his hip and a quiver across his back that was filled with arrows and a dark wood bow. He had his green hair tied up with a thin strip of leather. He looked like a knight from one of her novels.

“It is quite beautiful,” Momo complimented after she’d regained some of her composure.

“Thank you,” he bowed. He was always so polite. It was honestly refreshing after dealing with the carefree attitudes of the students like Mina or the angry outbursts of Bakugo.

“They say that the clothes make the pros,” All Might laughed. “You all certainly look the part. Remember that when you put on these costumes that you are official heroes in training!”

Momo felt herself swell with pride. This was really it.

“Now let’s get started with the exercise!” All Might boomed. His over-the-top presence kept everyone’s attention. “We’ll be doing a two-on-two indoor battle training today. I know many of you have seen villain fights that took place on the streets, but a great deal of hero work takes place indoors. From trafficking rings to drug rings, you’ll find truly dastardly villains hiding inside.”

Iida raised his hand and tried interrupting, but All Might held up a hand.

“Please hold off on your questions until I’ve finished explaining,” he told them. Iida lowered his hand, and All Might continued. “Now we’ll be deciding teams by drawing lots. I know that may seem strange, but it is to simulate real life. You do not always get to choose your partner in the field, nor will you always get the chance in this class! The exercise is simple. Each team will be assigned to be villains or heroes. The villains will be given a bomb that they are to protect and five minutes of prep time in the building. The heroes are going to infiltrate the building once time is up. The heroes win either by touching the bomb or capturing the villains. The villains win by capturing the heroes or stalling until time runs out.”

The students all began to discuss the exercise excitedly after All Might finished the explanation. Momo had a clear advantage if she was on the villain team. Honestly, it seemed the villains just had an advantage.

“Now I know you are all excited but remember the goal is to subdue your opponents, not to harm them,” All Might warned. “You have all proven you have powerful quirks. Today is your chance to prove you know the meaning of reasonable force. If you knowingly cause excessive harm or disobey any direct order from me there will be consequences.”

That got the excitement to die down quite a bit. It was an instant reminder as to why they were there. It wasn’t to play games. It was to be heroes.

“Let’s get started shall we!” All Might exclaimed excitedly as he busted out a box. “Everyone come up and draw a ball to see what team you’ll be on.”

Each student went up and drew. Momo was on team C. She looked around and found her teammate was Ojiro. She walked over to the tailed boy and gave him a smile, which he returned with a thumbs up.

“Ready to win this?” he asked happily.

“Yes,” she nodded back.

“And our first match up!” All Might yelled as he pulled balls out of two more boxes Momo hadn’t seen him get. “Team A will be the heroes and team C will be the villains! Team C if you will follow me, I will lead you to the building so you can begin your prep time.”

Momo scanned around for team A. She found Uraraka excitedly dragging Midoriya towards the door. Her heart started pounding when she realized they were who she was looking for.

She quickly turned to follow after All Might. He dropped them off at the entrance of the building with two communicators, two lengths of capture tape, and a giant paper mâché bomb.

“So, do you have a plan?” Ojiro asked as she picked up the surprisingly light bomb and began making her way further into the building.

“I think that we should probably put the bomb somewhere towards the middle of the building,” Momo told him. “If it were near any windows then Midoriya or Uraraka could find it by getting into the air and scanning the building.”

“Makes sense,” Ojiro nodded.

“I think the third floor is probably best for much the same reason,” Momo continued.

“Sure, if someone were to start from the roof then we’d be at an immediate disadvantage if we were at the top floor,” Ojiro reasoned.

“Exactly,” Momo agreed. “So, we put the bomb in the middle of the third floor and then I can produce some defenses.”

“Defenses?” Ojiro asked.

“My quirk is creation,” Momo explained. She made it to a good enough room. It only had the one door in and a long hallway that ran outside the door in either direction. “I learned how to make trip wires, non-lethal mines, and lots of other boobytraps. I can make it so that even once they find the bomb, they can never reach it.”

“Sounds good,” Ojiro said. “But I’m not sure if having us both trapped in here is a smart idea.”

“What do you mean?” Momo asked.

“Well, it just leaves them to their own devices so they can find a way around your traps,” he told her. “So, I can stay on the outside and keep them busy while you defend the bomb.”

“That’s a good plan,” Momo relented. She’d been so focused on herself she’d forgotten to consider her partner. That was stupid of her she groaned to herself. “I’ll get started on the traps then. Let me know when you’ve found them.”

“Will do,” Ojiro nodded. He headed out of the room and off down the hall.

Momo instantly went to work. She started on the far ends of the hallway and worked her way back towards the door. Once she finished one half she moved to the other and did the same thing. As she was placing the last row of spikes on the floor the communicator crackled to life.

“Heroes may enter the building!” All Might called.

As soon as his words died out the sound of an impossibly loud roar shook the building. Momo quickly ducked back into the room with the bomb and began setting up more defenses. She started by putting several braces against the door that would make it impossible to open. She couldn’t think of anything else that wouldn’t put her at a disadvantage too though.

She had to think. What did she know about the two of them? She knew their quirks. With Uraraka’s zero gravity quirk producing objects in the room would give her ammunition. Midoriya wouldn’t be able to bring the dragon into the building, at least not without carving his way through several feet of concrete. He wasn’t going to do that, right?

If he did then Momo wouldn’t be able to do much. Best not to think about it. Instead, she thought about the weapons she had seen on Midoriya’s person. He had a bow and he had sword. She could counter those things.

First, she made herself a classic shield. It was large and strong enough to protect her from either arrows or his sword. Then she made herself a sword. It was relatively simple. She had made the blade from steel and the grip was pleather. She couldn’t make real leather unfortunately. They both felt good in her hands. She had practiced with this combination more than almost any other and it helped fill her with confidence.

“I found them Yaoyorozu,” Ojiro’s voice called through her earpiece. “They had the dragon fly them to the roof.”

So, they were making their way down. It was a good plan.

“Try to avoid capture and stall as long as you can,” Momo reminded him.

“Will do- Fuck!” Ojiro screamed. Momo heard glass shatter through their comms and the sound of the dragon’s roar.

“Ojiro has been eliminated,” All Might called out.

Momo felt a pit in her stomach. That hadn’t even taken ten seconds. She had never seen Ojiro fight, but from his confidence and his gi she had assumed that he was fairly experienced. Now she was left on her own. She could only pray that her traps and her skills could buy them the time they needed.

Momo waited in tense silence. Several of the traps outside of her door were meant more as noise makers to warn her of any approach. She just had to wait and listen. As the minutes wore on though Momo only felt the tension growing.

Suddenly the door handle shook. But that was impossible. She hadn’t heard a thing! As something heavy slammed into the door and shook it though, she couldn’t deny that someone was here. A leather boot slammed through the door beside the handle.

As it slowly pulled back out Momo could see the glint of steel on the other side. Midoriya. He must have slipped through her traps. She readied her sword and held her shield up in front or her. There was a flash of movement and suddenly a diamond shape wedge was shoved out of the door.

Midoriya flew into the room like a demon. Momo didn’t have time to react as his sword batted her shield aside with so much force it nearly tore her shoulder from its socket. She slashed her sword at him, but he quickly matched her sword with his own. There was a resounding crack as the two blades met and Momo’s sword was ripped from her grasp. It flew across the room and imbedded itself in the wall.

Midoriya drove his elbow into Momo’s stomach in one last fluid motion. Momo wretched over his arm as she fell down to her knees. All the wind was gone from her lungs and all she could do was clutch at her midsection and desperately try to refill them with air.

“Hero team has captured the bomb!” All Might called.

Momo was still gasping for breath. Gentle hands settled on her shoulders and she looked up to see Midoriya kneeling with her. He had a remorseful smile on his face.

“Apologies Yaoyorozu,” he said. “Are you well enough to stand?”

Momo took another couple heavy breaths as she stared at him before she gave him a nod. He offered his hand and helped her to her feet. The motion caused her core to ache as she added pressure to the abused muscles.

Midoriya scowled when he saw her discomfort. His eyes went instantly to the large red mark on her stomach.

“I can heal that,” he offered. His voice dripped with concern.

“No,” Momo shook her head. “I’ll be fine.”

As tempting as it sounded Midoriya wouldn’t always be there to heal her. She needed to be able to handle a little bruising.

“If you change your mind come find me,” he told her. “Or find Jade if you cannot find me.”

“Thank you Midoriya,” Momo nodded, though she resolved to stay strong and not go seeking him.

“Midori!” Uraraka shouted as she rocketed out of nowhere and slammed into Midoriya. Momo felt her stomach angrily jump. “We did it!”

“Yes,” Midoriya chuckled. “Good work getting to the bomb so quickly.”

Uraraka made a pfft sound and waved him off. “I feel like I hardly did a thing,” she laughed.

The comm crackled to life in Momo’s ear. “Will both teams make their way back to the observation deck and we’ll review the exercise!” All Might instructed.

As Momo left the room she expected to see a mess of the traps she had made, instead she found them all perfectly in place.

“What?” she gasped with a shake of her head. She inspected both sides, but she couldn’t find a single trap out of place.

“Oh man you should have seen it,” Uraraka laughed. “Midori was like a ninja or something.”

“She might get to,” Midoriya sighed. He raised a single eyebrow at Momo. “I don’t suppose you can deactivate all this?”

“No,” Momo told him. “I could disassemble it, but it would take a little while.”

“It’s fine,” Midoriya shook his head.

“Dibs on your back!” Uraraka cried out suddenly as she threw herself onto his back.

“Uraraka!” Momo called out aghast. “You can’t just throw yourself at a classmate like that!”

“Relax Yaomomo,” the girl laughed. Why did all the girls insist on caller her that? It wasn’t that she minded, she quite liked having a nickname. “Midori’s fine with it. Besides, you get the arms.”

“The arms?” Momo wondered.

Uraraka gestured over Midoriya’s shoulders at his arms. Momo felt her face burning at just the thought of what she was insinuating.

“I could never,” Momo cried.

“It’s okay Yaoyorozu,” Midoriya assured her. “It’s the easiest way across.”

Looking at Midoriya, seeing his kind eyes totally focused on her own, she couldn’t put up any fight.

“Very well,” Momo sighed. Midoriya put one arm under her knees and the other across her back. He picked her up gently, as though she weighed nothing at all. She could feel the heat in her face grow hotter. “I don’t see how you plan to get across with two of us.”

“Just watch Yaomomo,” Uraraka assured her.

Midoriya began walking forward as though nothing were wrong. His steps were sure and smooth as though there weren’t a half dozen mines and trip wires spaced every few feet. He would duck and weave every now and then, avoiding the razor-sharp wires that threatened to cut at them. In no time at all they were on the other side and none the worse for wear.

Midoriya put her back down on her feet. Momo did her best not to stumble. She felt like she was in a daze as they walked out of the building. Ojiro and the dragon were waiting for them just outside. Together the five of them walked back to the observation room. Uraraka and Ojiro were happily chatting about something, but Momo wasn’t really listening.

“Well done all of you!” All Might cheered as they walked back in. There was some polite applause from the rest of the students behind him. “Now we need to discuss what happened.”

“Midoriya kicked ass!” Kaminari interrupted loudly.

“An astute observation,” All Might chuckled. “But let’s start at the beginning. The villains were able to prepare for the situation. How did they do?”

“Well, they did alright,” Sero shrugged. “I mean laying traps like that and splitting up was a pretty good plan.”

“Exactly,” All Might nodded. “Their plan was indeed strong. But no plan survives contact with the enemy. Now let’s move onto the heroes’ infiltration.”

“Midoriya and Uraraka took a less traditional route and had Jade fly them to the roof,” Iida shouted as he threw his arm into the air. “This subversion of expectations is an excellent move when fighting in enemy territory.”

“Indeed,” All Might agreed. “Though they made quite a bit of noise doing so.”

“That’s how Ojiro knew to meet them on the fifth floor,” Tsuyu noted.

“And thus, the foes met for the first battle,” All Might continued.

“Wouldn’t call it much of a battle,” Ojiro grumbled.

“Quite,” All Might laughed sheepishly. “In the future Young Midoriya please refrain from throwing your classmates out of fifth floor windows, even if you do have a plan in place to catch them.”

At first Momo thought it was a joke. The quiet “Yes sir,” from Midoriya told her otherwise. She paled at the thought and suddenly thought much better of Ojiro’s choice to curse.

“Then they went straight for the bomb,” Kirishima said.

“Yeah,” Kaminari nodded. “It was like they knew where it was.”

“I did,” Midoriya confirmed. “Or at least roughly.”

He didn’t explain how. Honestly Midoriya’s quirk was making less and less sense the more she learned. It wasn’t like anything she’d ever even heard of before.

“And then he just carried Uraraka through all those traps in his arms,” Mina called teasingly. “Must have been nice.”

“And after successfully infiltrating the room Midoriya engaged the final enemy while Uraraka secured the weapon,” Iida finished, completely ignoring or unaware of Mina’s provocative comment.

“Wonderfully summarized,” All Might laughed. “Now can anyone tell me who the MVP of the match would be?”

“Midoriya,” Iida proclaimed as he threw his hand pointlessly into the air again. “It was his quirk that allowed the hero team to infiltrate abnormally and his superior combat abilities that dealt with both villains.”

“Very good Iida,” All Might nodded. “While I agree it does not lessen the contributions of any of the other participants. You all did well. Yaoyorozu, Ojiro, I recommend you reflect on what you could have done better, but do not let this defeat get you down. The road to being a hero is one of learning and you are only on day one. Instead let this loss invigorate you and push harder than ever. Plus Ultra!”

All Might having finished his evaluation on their exercise moved on and pulled out the next teams. Bakugo and Shoji as the heroes against Kirishima and Todoroki as the villains. As Kirishima and Todoroki made their way inside she noticed Midoriya had pulled back out his sword and was eyeing it critically.

“Is something wrong?” she asked softly as she stepped closer to him.

“Yes,” he sighed. He sounded almost defeated. “Take a look.”

He handed her the weapon. The first thing Momo noticed was that it was incredibly light. It felt nearly weightless in her hand. It was also painstakingly beautiful. The gentle curve of the blade and soft shine of the silvery steel were so fine that she knew instantly the blade would be worth a fortune. Would be, if not for the fine crack that split the blade at the middle.

“Oh no,” Momo gasped. He must have broken it on her shield. “I can reimburse you for this.”

“No,” Midoriya shook his head. “It is not an issue of money. I have other swords.”

“Then what is it?” Momo asked curiously.

“It means I need to speak to my master,” he told her. “No other sword was as strong as this one. I doubt I can make a stronger one without her guidance.”

“She must be very skilled,” Momo remarked.

“She knows more than anyone I’ve ever met,” Midoriya sighed.

Momo wanted to ask more, but she couldn’t as All Might shouted into his microphone.

“Bakugo I forbid you to use such a weapon,” he cried. “You could kill someone!”

Momo looked up to see Bakugo in an ice-covered room standing opposite Todoroki. Bakugo had one of his oversized grenade gauntlets pointed directly at Todoroki’s chest.

“He won’t die if he blocks it!” Bakugo shouted back half crazed.

Bakugo pulled the pin from the gauntlet and a flash of light overtook the screen. The room around them shook as what must have been a truly massive explosion went off.

“Midoriya go!” All Might shouted.

Momo turned but Midoriya was already gone, the door closing behind him.

“Iida go get Recovery Girl,” All Might instructed as he too ran out of the room.

All of the students besides Iida followed. As they made it out of the room and into Ground Beta, they were greeted to a sight like a warzone. There was so much dust in the air it looked like it was snowing. The two buildings closest to the observation room had collapsed and there was water being flung in the air by busted pipes. A few small fires were burning in the rubble.

Right at the edge of the destruction, standing on the now exposed second floor, was a very stunned looking Bakugo. He was staring at the gauntlet like it had just done something amazing, not caused the life ending destruction that was before them.

Midoriya was already knee deep in rubble. Wading through the concrete and steel as he hunted down Todoroki. All Might was marching straight towards Bakugo. When Bakugo saw the approaching hero his face split into an enormous grin.

“Not bad huh?” Bakugo shouted with pride.

“Not bad?” All Might growled, his voice clear despite the destruction around them. He leapt up to the second floor. He grabbed Bakugo’s gauntlet and lifted him into the air so that they were face to face. “Young man you very well might have just killed your classmates. I cannot begin to describe how much trouble you are in.”

Bakugo’s face turned into a furious scowl. “What the fuck?” he screamed. “How can you say that? All I did was prove I’m the strongest!”

“All you did was prove that you don’t understand what it means to be a hero,” All Might scoffed. He leapt back down and away from the destruction. He set Bakugo back down. “Stay here.”

Momo watched the stunned Bakugo drop onto his backside as he stared after the hero. All Might was making his way towards Midoriya as the green haired boy hefted a larger chunk of a building out of the way. Midoriya pointed to the side and sent All Might off as he pulled Todoroki out of the rubble.

Momo gasped when she saw him. A few of the other students noticed and gasped or screamed. Even with all the distance between them they could call tell it wasn’t good. Todoroki was covered in blackened burn tissue and blood. Momo fell to her knees. He couldn’t possibly survive. She didn’t want to watch, but she couldn’t look away.

Midoriya knelt beside Todoroki. His back was to the rest of them, but he looked shaken. Momo was prepared for a lot of things to happen next, Midoriya singing wasn’t one of them.

It was such a slow and pained song that it could only be a song of mourning. It was heart wrenching to hear. Momo couldn’t understand the words Midoriya sang, but she could feel the power that they were filled with. Whatever Midoriya was doing, Momo prayed it worked. If it didn’t, she didn’t even want to think of it.

The sound of enormous wings flapping through the air mixed with Midoriya’s pained refrain. Midoriya’s dragon landed heavily beside the students. Momo looked up in time to see the armored form of Iida sliding out of the saddle and then reach up to catch Recovery Girl as she too hopped off.

Recovery Girl scanned the damage and her eyes instantly focused in on Midoriya where he was singing over Todoroki. She began making her way through the rubble towards the two of them without any hesitation. Momo could tell the heroine was struggling with her small frame though. She instantly rushed forward and picked her up.

“Thank you,” Recovery Girl nodded tersely as Momo carried her over the rubble and to the two boys.

Up close it was so much worse. Todoroki was unconscious, but even still there was pain on his features. The acrid smell of charred flesh was overwhelming. Most of Todoroki’s hair was gone, only a small tuft of white remaining on the side of his head. He had more blackened skin than not and his shirt had been obliterated by the blast.

“Put me down dear,” Recovery Girl instructed.

Momo obeyed, but she could barely think as she did. It was all so horrible.

Recovery Girl quickly got to work assessing Todoroki. She didn’t touch him, for which Momo was grateful, but she inspected every inch of him. As she stood up straight once again Momo could tell she was concerned.

“I can’t help him,” Recovery Girl shook her head. “Not here.”

_Do not move him,_ the familiar voice of the dragon rumbled in Momo’s head.

Recovery Girl looked around before her eyes narrowed in on the dragon watching them from across the rubble. “And why not?” she demanded angrily.

_Izuku will heal him,_ the dragon explained. _He is already doing so._

“He could very well die if we do nothing,” Recovery Girl snapped.

_He_ will _die if you move him,_ the dragon responded calmly. _Right now, Izuku is keeping him alive. He only needs time._

“Fine,” Recovery Girl spat. “But I want a better explanation once the others are seen to.”

_Very well,_ Jade agreed.

“I need you to help me to the others,” Recovery Girl told her.

“Others?” Momo asked weakly.

Recovery Girl gestured to where All Might was helping Kirishima and Shoji out of the rubble. They seemed banged up, but nowhere near as bad as Todoroki.

“R-right,” Momo nodded. She picked Recovery Girl back up and carried the old heroine to the other pair of boys. As they drew near, they could hear Kirishima practically shouting at All Might.

“But that’s not manly at all!” Kirishima yelled angrily. Momo could see blood matting his hair and making it dark.

“No, it isn’t young Kirishima,” All Might agreed darkly as he reached up and held a cloth against the wound on Kirishima’s head.

“Let me see,” Recovery Girl demanded as Momo put her down again.

All Might jumped when he heard her voice. He stepped aside and let the heroine approach, only removing his hand from the cloth when Recovery Girl put her own hand next to his. She pulled back the cloth and clicked her tongue. She gave Kirishima a quick kiss on the forehead and the cut on his head instantly closed up.

“You’re lucky. You didn’t have a concussion,” Recovery Girl told him. Her tone was a lot softer than it had been earlier. She turned to Shoji. “How about you dear? Anything hurt? Anything at all?”

“No ma’am,” one of Shoji’s duple arms reported.

“All right,” Recovery Girl nodded. “If that changes, I expect you to come see me. Any time. Understood?”

Shoji only nodded but Recovery Girl seemed to accept it as a good enough answer.

The heroine turned and looked towards Midoriya who was still kneeling beside Todoroki.

“It will likely take a few hours,” All Might sighed.

“And you’re sure he can handle this?” Recovery Girl asked sternly. It wasn’t necessarily harsh, but it demanded an answer.

“Yes,” All Might answered without any hesitation.

Momo stared at the hero in shock. He’d only known them for a day. How could he have such confidence in Midoriya? Had he known him before hand?

Recovery Girl clicked her tongue in frustration. “I won’t be leaving until it’s done,” she informed them. “You should have the other students go back to the dorms.”

“Very well,” All Might nodded. “I’ll let them know. I need to take young Bakugo to Nedzu.”

“Have him send Hound Dog to the dorms when you see him,” Recovery Girl added.

“Right,” All Might nodded. He turned back to the three students. He put on his All MightTM smile, but it seemed more tense than it had earlier. “Let’s go rejoin your classmates,” he told them gently.

The four of them made their way back to the group as Recovery Girl began picking her way carefully back to Midoriya and Todoroki. Momo couldn’t help but watch the heroine and worry about what was going to happen.

***

Since they’d been sent back to the dorms the students of 1-A were subdued. Even the more boisterous students hadn’t made an attempt to lighten the mood. The only sound within the dorm for hours were the muffled sobs of Hagakure and Mina’s soft attempts to comfort her. More often than not they all sat in uncomfortable silence.

Almost all of them had taken up silent vigil in the common room. They waited and they watched the door for any sign of their missing members. Any word that everything was going to be okay. The only three students not in the common room were the ones they were waiting for.

All Might had taken Bakugo straight to the President’s office. His promise of consequences proven to be more than just words. No one had seen him since.

Midoriya and Todoroki had been left with Recovery Girl at Ground Beta. But that had been hours ago. The longer they waited, the tenser the students grew. It was getting to be too much.

Momo felt utterly useless. All she’d been able to do was act like a glorified taxi for Recovery Girl. Now one of her classmates was on death’s door and the only thing keeping him alive was Midoriya.

The door opened suddenly and snapped her out of her self-pity. Walking through the doorway was a perfectly healed Todoroki and a very tired looking Midoriya. Todoroki was actually supporting Midoriya as they walked in.

There was a moment of perfect calm in the common room, it was just long enough for Momo to hear her heart pound once, and then the room exploded in noise. There were shouts and cries of joy as everyone made a mad dash to the pair.

“You guys are okay!” Uraraka shouted loudly as she nearly tackled Midoriya into a hug.

“Yes,” he nodded as he hesitantly returned the hug.

“How are you feeling Todoroki?” Kirishima asked.

“I’m fine,” Todoroki shrugged. “I don’t remember what happened.”

“What do you mean?” Kaminari pushed.

“One moment Bakugo was pointing his gauntlet at me, the next I was sitting in the rubble with Recovery Girl and Midoriya,” he explained. He didn’t seem overly bothered by it.

“Well, we’re just glad you are alright!” Iida proclaimed.

“Why?” Todoroki asked. His voice and his tone really worried Momo. He seemed genuinely confused.

“Cause we’re your friends Todoroki!” Mina cried out. She wasn’t all that close to him, but he clearly was taken aback by her intensity. “So, don’t you go getting hurt like that again. You hear me!”

“Okay?” Todoroki agreed uncertainly.

There was a quick moment of movement and Midoriya was suddenly facing the closed door again with his bow in hand and an arrow drawn back. Before anyone could ask what, he was doing Bakugo stomped angrily through the door. When he saw the crowd of students, and the arrow pointed square at his chest, his already sour expression turned into a look of pure rage.

“Get that thing out of my fucking face,” Bakugo snapped.

“No,” Midoriya refused.

“What the fuck did you just say?” Bakugo growled as small explosions crackled in his palm.

“Enough,” another voice called from the doorway. Behind Bakugo was a very done looking Aizawa. “Bakugo go. Midoriya lower your weapon.”

Bakugo began stomping through the room, the crowd of students parting before him. Midoriya tracked him with his bow until he made it to the stairs. Only then did he return the arrow to the quiver.

“Midoriya, President Nedzu has asked to speak with you,” Aizawa sighed. “He said he would wait on the roof of the classroom building.”

“Right,” Midoriya nodded.

He slipped the bow back in the quiver on his back before removing both the quiver and his sword belt. He handed them to Uraraka who was still next to him. “Will you hold onto these for me?” Midoriya asked her.

“Sure?” she said uncertainly as she took them. “Why?”

“It’s rude to go into a meeting armed,” he chuckled tiredly. With that he walked out of the dorm.

Once he was gone Aizawa went over to the couch and plopped down, appearing to instantly fall asleep. Momo watched with some amazement at the strange scene.

“Holy crap,” Kaminari grunted. Momo turned to see he had snuck Midoriya’s bow out of the quiver and was currently trying to draw back the string. “You guys gotta try this.”

***

Jade landed on the roof of the classroom building. The sight that greeted them there was so comical that if it had been any other day it probably would have earned a laugh. Even after all the stress of the day, seeing a children’s inflatable pool filled with tea was enough to make him smile.

“Ah Mr. Midoriya, Mr. Jade, it’s nice to see you,” President Nedzu greeted them happily from a table beside the pool.

“It’s nice to see you as well President Nedzu sir,” Izuku bowed.

He walked forward and sat in one of the other seats at the table with Nedzu. Jade moved around and sat at the head of the table where he could easily reach the pool.

“Please help yourselves to some tea,” Nedzu offered with a smile.

_Thank you, President Nedzu,_ Jade laughed, the vibrations shaking the china cups on the table.

“You’re very welcome,” Nedzu laughed back. He suddenly turned and faced Izuku, his serious expression returning as he did. “Though I feel I really ought to be thanking you once again.”

Izuku sighed.

“Not once in the thirty years that I have run this institution have I had students with injuries as serious as the ones you’ve seen,” Nedzu went on. “It is no lie to say that you saved young Todoroki’s life today.”

“I only did my duty,” Izuku explained.

“Your duty?” Nedzu inquired.

“Yes,” Izuku nodded.

“I would very much like to hear more,” Nedzu hummed. “But I feel this is a conversation others should be a part of as well. Is that acceptable?”

“Of course,” Izuku agreed.

Nedzu sent off a text. While they waited Izuku and Jade sipped at their tea and the three of them talked. The tea was quite good, bitter and strong the way Izuku liked it. Jade thought it was quite enjoyable as well.

“Mr. Bakugo has been expelled,” Nedzu told them.

“Is that wise?” Izuku wondered. “Surely you realize he might turn to villainy now that he has failed at being a hero.”

“Perhaps,” Nedzu agreed. “But today he showed that he did not care about the lives of others. While we might have been able to teach him the error of his ways, nobody can instill goodness in a person.”

“But if he falls to villainy isn’t that on UA now?” Izuku asked.

“No,” Nedzu shook his head. “The world is not divided into heroes and villains. Mr. Bakugo has many paths ahead of him and he is free to choose any of them. If he falls to villainy than it only reinforces that he did not have the proper values of a hero and prove that we were right not to trust him with a heroics license.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” Aizawa grunted as he slouched onto the rooftop. “He had already received a warning from me. Combine that with disobeying a direct order from another teacher regarding excessive force and it’s clear he wasn’t cut out for this.”

“Hello Aizawa,” Nedzu greeted the tired man. “Would you care for a cup of tea?”

“Do you have any coffee?” he grumbled.

“No,” Nedzu chirped happily as he poured another cup and passed it to Aizawa.

“Thanks,” Aizawa nodded with a sigh. He left the cup untouched in front of him.

“And that just leaves-”

“Me,” Toshi laughed as he stormed onto the roof. Nedzu was already pouring the man a cup of tea as he took the last seat at the table.

“Well, if that is everyone then we can begin,” Nedzu ginned. “Mr. Midoriya would you like to tell the others what you told me?”

“Sure,” Izuku nodded. “When Nedzu thanked me for my actions in saving Todoroki’s life I told him that I was simply doing my duty.”

“Duty?” Aizawa asked parroting Nedzu’s earlier question of the same.

“Yes,” Izuku confirmed. He turned to Nedzu. “I assume you informed the other teachers of the truth regarding Jade and myself?”

“Indeed,” Nedzu laughed. “Though many still have their doubts.”

Izuku looked to Toshi. “And you Toshi?” he asked.

“I have always known that your abilities made little sense as a quirk,” Toshi shrugged. “The explanation that the President gave does make more sense.”

Izuku felt a wave of relief as a knot he hadn’t even realize had been tightening in his stomach released. “I’m glad you know,” he told Toshi.

“Does your mother?” Toshi asked him.

“No,” Izuku shook his head. “Though I would tell her if she asked. I ask that you not tell her. She worries enough.”

“Very well young Midoriya,” Toshi agreed tensely. “Though I do not like the idea of lying to her, even if it is a lie of omission.”

“I understand,” Izuku sighed.

“So, this duty you’ve spoken of,” Nedzu prompted him.

“It is my duty as a dragon rider to ensure peace and to protect others from harm,” Izuku told them.

“And who gave you this duty?” Aizawa asked. Given his attitude at their last meeting he was being far more cordial this time.

“My master,” Izuku told him. “As her masters gave it to her and so forth through the ages.”

“And were they dragon riders too?” Nedzu inquired.

“Yes,” Izuku started.

_And no,_ Jade finished cheekily.

Izuku had to bite his cheek to stop himself from laughing at the way Aizawa and Toshi jumped as they suddenly remembered the presence of the several ton dragon beside them.

“A dragon and their rider are an interwoven pair,” Izuku explained. “It is their duty as a pair and as individuals.”

“Then how have we never heard of a dragon rider before,” Aizawa asked.

“Simple,” Izuku answered. “They have never existed in this world before.”

“In what world _did_ they exist?” Toshi wondered. He was clearly much more enthralled by the explanation than Aizawa was.

Izuku scowled slightly. “I do not know the name of the world,” Izuku confessed. “My master was from a land known as Alagaësia, but that was but one part of her world. She was sent here alongside Jade’s egg to ensure that the legacy of the riders would continue.”

As Izuku finished his explanation there was a moment of silence. The three teachers were each giving him very different looks. Nedzu looked fascinated, Aizawa looked annoyed, and Toshi looked awestruck. Izuku honestly wasn’t sure which look made him the most uncomfortable, but he sat there calmly and allowed them to process it all.

“I would like to meet her,” Nedzu announced happily.

“I expected you would,” Izuku nodded. “She is very old however. She has been resting and I dislike disrupting her.”

“Even still,” Nedzu pushed. “If you are willing then I would like to meet her as soon as possible. I will take responsibility for disturbing her sleep.”

“Very well,” Izuku agreed. He stood from the table and walked over to Jade. The dragon laid down to allow him to access the saddle bag with Saphira’s heart in it. He pulled out the stone and brought it back to the table.

“What is this?” Aizawa asked. “Some sort of communication device?”

“No,” Izuku almost laughed. “This is my master’s heart of hearts. Now that her body has died this is where her spirit resides.”

“How do we proceed?” Nedzu asked.

“I will reach out to her,” Izuku explained. “She will either agree to speak with you or she won’t.”

“Whenever you’re ready then Mr. Midoriya,” Nedzu nodded.

Izuku took a deep breath. He wasn’t exactly nervous about it, but he did feel bad. Saphira had worked diligently for years to ensure he was ready. He felt she deserved a break. Now here he was, waking her up only two days into the semester. He reached out with his mind and connected his with Saphira’s heart.

In her sleep like state Saphira would dream. Izuku knew that, but he’d never intruded on her by watching before. He could see it now though, the way she dreamt of flying over the fields of her home. The familiar weight of her rider, of Eragon, nestled in her shoulders. And the deep melancholy that ran through the memory.

**_Master,_** Izuku prodded gently.

Saphira’s mind snapped to awareness in an instant. She was not groggy the way Izuku had expected; the way she had been before. She was instantly alert.

**_Izuku?_** she asked. **_Who are these people? Why have you awoken me?_**

 ** _These are my teachers at UA,_** Izuku explained. **_They are aware of the truth and they wished to speak with you. I am sorry to have disturbed you._**

 ** _No,_** Saphira dismissed his concern. **_This was likely inevitable. You have done well to bring me into the discussion._** Saphira expanded her mental grasp and connected them to each of the gathered professors. _Good afternoon._

 _“I see,”_ Nedzu hummed. _“So, you were also a dragon.”_

 _I_ am _a dragon,_ Saphira corrected him. _Do not mistake my situation for death. I am very much alive and very much as capable as I was when I still wielded my teeth and claws._

 _“Forgive me,”_ Nedzu bowed. _“I meant no disrespect.” So, she’s prideful._

 _Yes,_ Saphira agreed to the errant thought. _I am Saphira Brightscales. Dragon of Eragon Shadeslayer. Together we watched over the lands of Alagaësia for well over a thousand years, defeated the false king, and trained an entire generation of riders._

 _“It seems I owe you another apology,”_ Nedzu said.

_No,_ Saphira rumbled. _Your thoughts are your own._

 _Not currently,_ Aizawa thought.

_Not currently,_ Saphira agreed. _So, I will not hold such things against you._

 _“I would like to know more about what you expect of Mr. Midoriya,”_ Nedzu chirped, putting the conversation back on track.

 _Izuku is a dragon rider,_ Saphira told them. _He is a protector of peace and order._

 _“You mean will be,”_ Aizawa corrected.

 _No,_ Saphira stated. _Izuku_ is _a dragon rider. He is not limited by your government._

 _“What?”_ Aizawa snarled.

 _“Now Aizawa,”_ Nedzu chuckled as he patted the hero on the arm. _“Mr. Midoriya is here at UA to be a hero. Clearly they understand the importance of a heroics license.”_

 _Yes,_ Saphira agreed. _While Izuku is not bound by your government it is better for him to work with it. A single rider is not enough to keep the world safe._

 _“But he can be a symbol,”_ Toshi murmured.

_That is a nice way of putting it,_ Saphira laughed. _A symbol and a standard. Someone to lead your heroes and ensure that they too are held accountable for their actions._

 _“That’s a lot of power you want us to give him,”_ Aizawa pointed out.

_I expect you to give him nothing,_ Saphira told him. _I expect him to earn the responsibility through his actions and his abilities._ That _is why he is here._

 _“Hmm,”_ Nedzu hummed. _“Well, I can’t promise that he will be able to achieve all you expect of him, but we will help in making him a hero.”_

 _That is fine,_ Saphira agreed.

_“Wonderful,”_ Nedzu squeaked. _“I think the three of us need to discuss this a little more. Thank you for your time Saphira Brightscales and thank you as well for your patience Mr. Midoriya, Mr. Jade.”_

Saphira pulled back from the mind of the professors. She stayed connected to Izuku and Jade though as they left the rooftop.

_That went well,_ Saphira commented as they flew through the air.

Izuku just sighed as they began descending towards the dorm. Izuku expected to land on the roof, but Jade rumbled with laughter as he began circling towards the ground.

_It seems your friends are having fun Izuku,_ Jade rumbled.

He landed lightly on the grass and Izuku looked around. He found all of his classmates were out in front of the dorm in the setting sun. They were looking towards Jade and Izuku with expressions that ranged from excited to shameful and even fearful.

“What’s going on?” Izuku asked in confusion.

There was a quiet shuffling before Uraraka stepped forward. She had his bow in her hands.

“We were trying to see if anyone could draw your bow,” she explained.

“Okay,” he nodded. He hopped down from the saddle and into the grass. “Has anyone managed it?”

“Kirishima got close,” Mina told him excitedly. “We were just about to let Sato try.”

“What are you aiming at?” Izuku asked as he took a look around.

“Well, we aren’t using the arrows,” Mina explained.

“You should,” Izuku told her. “I don’t know if any of you would be able to safely release the tension and it isn’t good for a bow to dry fire.”

“Okay!” Mina shouted as she rushed over to Uraraka and ripped an arrow from the quiver. She took it over to Sato who already stood there with the bow. “Wait!” she shouted as she slammed back around to him. “Now we need a target.”

“Yes,” Izuku agreed. “I would recommend something thick as well.”

“What do you use?” Yaoyorozu asked him.

“I use straw targets,” Izuku told her.

She walked away from the group and lifted her shirt. Her skin lit up brightly and she pulled out a large white target with several colorful rings on the front. She put her shirt down and returned to the group.

“I can’t make straw,” she shrugged. “I hope this’ll work though.”

“Nice going Yaomomo!” Mina cheered. “Now we can get started! Sato! You’re up!”

“Right!” Sato nodded.

Sato walked forward with Midoriya’s bow and nocked the arrow. He raised the bow up to eye level and then began to try and pull against the string. The students crowded around began cheering for him, shouting out their encouragements. The string did flex back a little, but Sato failed to bend the wood of the bow.

He stopped pulling and sagged forward a little, panting at the effort.

“All right then,” Sato grunted.

The tall boy pulled out a sugar packet and ripped it open with his teeth. He downed the entire thing in a single gulp. With a roar he lifted the bow and redoubled his efforts. This time he pulled the bow back about halfway before his grip gave out. The arrow flew through the air and slammed into the bottom of the target, lodging itself halfway in.

The cheers of class 1-A rang out at his success. An incoherent cacophony of praise and disbelief surrounded a blushing Sato. Izuku chuckled at it all.

Next to go was Shoji. The multi-armed boy had more trouble than Sato did, but by using his extra hands to grip the string he did manage to fire off another arrow. His aim was off, and the arrow ended up lodged in the dirt, but he earned himself another rambunctious round of applause from the students of 1-A.

Yaoyorozu went up next and took the bow gently from Shoji. She seemed hesitant, but the encouraging cheers from the students around her seemed to help. She had good form as she lifted the bow up before her. She placed three fingers on the string and tried to draw it back, but the draw weight was too much for her. The heavy demand threw her form out of balance.

Izuku was up and behind her before he fully thought about it.

“Here,” he coached as he moved her elbow back down. He placed his hands over hers on the bow and the string. “You shouldn’t bring your elbow up so high.”

Izuku helped her draw back the string.

“Watch your bow arm,” he reminded her. “A bow this strong leaves a nasty mark if it catches you.”

“R-right,” Yaoyorozu nodded.

“Now just take your time,” Izuku said.

He looked at her to see how she was doing. She was totally focused on the target. Her black hair shined in the setting sun. She looked at him and he could feel her breath against his face. The warm air tickled against his nose. He didn’t even notice he let go of the string until the cheers of 1-A smacked him back to reality.

He looked up and checked the target. There was a clear hole straight through the middle, the arrow nowhere in sight. Izuku took a step back.

“Well done,” he complimented.

“Thank you,” she nodded back.

Yaoyorozu was swept up in a crowd of students. They were all complimenting her and asking her questions. Izuku walked back over to Jade and sat down, resting against his foreleg.

_Looks like you were having fun,_ Jade teased.

_Shut it,_ Izuku responded tersely.

_Ah boys and princesses,_ Saphira sighed wistfully. _You really are all the same._

 _She’s not a princess,_ Izuku defended himself hotly.

_She’s an heiress,_ Jade reminded him with another laugh.

***

“Oh my god Yaomomo that was amazing!” Mina cheered as she dragged the still stupefied girl away from Midori.

“T-thank you,” Yaomomo stammered.

Yaomomo handed the bow off to Kaminari who was insisting he get another shot at it. Mina brought Yaomomo over to Uraraka and Jiro.

“So?” Mina asked excitedly once the others had started paying more attention to Kaminari’s frustrated grunting.

“S-so?” Yaomomo repeated.

“Don’t be like that,” Mina groaned.

“Yeah Yaomomo,” Uraraka insisted. “I mean did you see him rushing to help anybody else?”

“He was just correcting my form,” Yaomomo shook her head.

“He didn’t have to get so close to do that,” Jiro pointed out. “I mean he probably should have asked regardless.”

“Where’s the romance in that?” Mina groaned.

“R-romance?!” Yaomomo asked half panicked.

“Consent is sexy Mina,” Jiro told her. “I don’t care who you are, you always ask.”

Mina rolled her eyes at the purple haired girl before she excitedly turned back to Yaomomo. Jiro was right, but that wasn’t any fun. “So how did it feel to be wrapped up in those strong arms?” Mina asked her.

“I wasn’t-” Yaomomo tried to argue, but Uraraka had Mina’s back.

“You kinda were,” Uraraka laughed. “For the second time today no less.”

“Second time?!” Mina cried excitedly. “When was the first time?”

“It was nothing,” Yaomomo insisted. “He merely carried us through the traps in the hallway.”

“No, he carried you,” Uraraka reminded her. “I was just on his back.

“Sounds pretty nice,” Mina sing songed.

Yaomomo was flagging, coming to the same realization they all already had. Mina could see it in her face. She was so close to realizing it, she just needed a little push.

“Didn’t you feel anything Yaomomo?” Mina asked gently. If she did then Mina had a new OTP, if she didn’t then Mina would drop it. Simple as that.

Yaomomo thought about it for a moment. A blush slowly crept its way onto her face. She buried her face in her hands and gave a frantic nod.

Mina and Uraraka squealed as they scooped Yaomomo up in a hug between them.

“Ah this is so exciting!” Mina exclaimed. “Don’t worry Yaomomo. We’ll help you score your man.”

“Yeah,” Uraraka nodded. She grabbed both girls by the hand and started dragging them along. “Come on, you can tell us all about it!”

Mina made sure to grab Jiro’s hand too and held tight. All four of them heading into the dorms together.

***

_You’re tense,_ Jade pointed out.

_Last class one of my classmates almost died,_ Izuku reminded the dragon.

_It’s not another heroics class,_ Jade sighed. _Everything’ll be fine._

In that moment Aizawa chose to storm into the room. The class fell silent as the hero made his way to the podium at the front.

“Today you will be selecting a class president,” he told them.

There was an instant sense of relief that washed through the class. After yesterday something so normal was definitely sounding good. The calm only lasted a second before students started shouting for their candidacy.

“Um sir?” Yaoyorozu raised her hand, her voice cutting over the crowd.

“What?” Aizawa groaned.

“What exactly does the class president do?” she asked. “I mean we’re not in high school anymore.”

“At UA we’ve kept the hero course students in groups that function similar to high school classes,” Aizawa explained. “But you’re right. You’re not in high school and things won’t always work like a high school classroom. It’s the president’s job to correspond with teachers and ensure that the class is aware of any unusual situations. For instance, tomorrow you will have class on the other side of campus. There will be a bus to collect you outside of your dorms. It is the president’s job to make sure you’re all on it.”

After his explanation, the students continued to vie for the position for a moment before Iida stood up.

“We should hold a vote,” Iida told them.

“Won’t everyone just vote for themselves though?” Tsuyu asked.

“Then whoever earns more will have truly deserved the position!” Iida proclaimed. “Professor Aizawa is this acceptable?”

“I don’t care,” Aizawa shrugged. “Just get it done by the end of class and don’t wake me from my nap.”

Iida passed out little slips of paper and collected them all once again. He created a running tally of each vote on the whiteboard. Izuku was a little proud once he saw the final results. He had won with a total of seven votes. Yaoyorozu had won second with three.

“Alright then,” Aizawa sighed as he instantly stood out of his sleeping bag. “Midoriya you’re the president and Yaoyorozu will be your vice president.”

“Yes sir,” Izuku nodded back.

***

The rest of their morning classes passed quickly. As they made their way to a table in the cafeteria, Uraraka happily going on about how good a class president Izuku would be, Izuku wondered who all had voted him.

Uraraka led him to a table that was already pretty full and took a seat. Izuku sat down next to her and looked around. Mina, Jiro, Todoroki, Tsuyu, Iida, Kirishima, and Yaoyorozu were all sitting around the table as well.

“Congratulations Mr. President!” Kirishima shouted, many of the other members of the table giving Izuku softer congratulations of their own.

“Thank you,” Izuku said with a soft bow of his head.

“And don’t forget Yaomomo too!” Mina cried out. “You two are going to be working together now after all.”

“That’s true,” Izuku nodded. He gave his new vice president a smile. “I look forward to working with you.”

“M-me as well,” Yaoyorozu nodded, she had a dusting of red on her cheeks.

_Oh?_ Jade questioned, reading Izuku’s thoughts.

Izuku just sighed at Jade’s insinuation.

“I think you two will do well, kerro,” Tsuyu told them. “I’m glad I voted for Midoriya.”

“You too, huh?” Kirishima laughed. “Why’d you vote for him?”

“He saved Todoroki,” Tsuyu shrugged. “I don’t even think he waited for All Might to send him in before he ran off to help. It was very heroic.”

“Don’t forget he saved Uraraka during the entrance exam as well,” Iida told them.

“He what!?” Yaoyorozu, Kirishima, and Mina shouted all at once. The table turned to Uraraka.

“Y-yeah,” she nodded in confirmation nervously. “From what Recovery Girl was telling me after the fact he probably saved my life. Then he had Jade kidnap All Might and flew off talking about finding whoever was in charge.”

All eyes turned to Izuku as Uraraka finished her story. He just shrugged. “President Nedzu and I had a conversation about unnecessary risk is all.”

“That’s so manly,” Kirishima proclaimed.

Before anything else could be said a loud blaring wail filled the cafeteria.

“Attention students,” an electronic voice called over the alarm. “This is a level three alert. Please make your way to your dorms immediately.”

With that the voice died but the alarm continued to ring. The students in the cafeteria whipped into an instant frenzy at the alarm.

_“What’s happening?”_ Izuku called out, both to Jade and those around him.

“It’s the intruder alert,” an older student responded as he shoved past their group. “Means someone broke into campus.”

_It appears to be the press,_ Jade informed him as the crowd began really pushing and shoving. _Aizawa and Present Mic are already handling it._

 _If they’re handling that someone else could sneak in,_ Izuku pointed out.

_On it,_ Jade confirmed. _I’ll do a fly over._

 _Thank you,_ Izuku sighed. _I’ll try and deal with this mess._

Focusing once again on the screaming mess of a crowd Izuku could only sigh. Someone was going to get hurt. He allowed the bubble of white-hot energy within him to flow through his veins.

**“Silence,”** he commanded. He could instantly feel the strain of stopping all the noise, but it wasn’t debilitating. The pushing and shoving grew as people freaked out over the sudden silence. “The intruders are merely journalists looking for a story,” Izuku called loudly. In the otherwise silent cafeteria, his voice filled the room. “You all need to calm down.”

The panicking crowd stopped trampling over each other and started actually exiting the cafeteria in an orderly manner. Izuku stopped his spell.

“That was awesome Midori!” Uraraka shouted as she slammed into his arm, latching onto it like a lifeline. “Didn’t you think so Yaomomo?”

“Indeed,” the other girl nodded. “Your quirk is quite versatile Midoriya.”

“Thanks,” Izuku nodded. He tried to keep his face neutral as he did. Even after all these years he wasn’t sure he succeeded.

_I don’t see anything Izuku,_ Jade called and cut off his unhappy thoughts.

_Strange,_ Izuku bit at his lip. _I doubt this was only the press._

 _Should we inform President Nedzu?_ Jade asked.

_I’m sure he’s already thinking the same,_ Izuku pointed out. _We’ll just have to wait and see._

***

“You should tell her,” Uraraka said as she threw herself down on the couch next to Midoriya and Jade.

“Tell who what?” Izuku asked.

“You should tell Yaomomo the truth about you and Jade,” Uraraka clarified. “It clearly bothers you when someone talks about your ‘quirk’.” She put air quotes around the word quirk.

“I do not know Yaoyorozu well enough for her to trust me,” Izuku pointed out.

“That’s not true,” Uraraka insisted as she smacked his arm. “Plus, you and Yaomomo are gonna be working really close with each other. You shouldn’t keep up a lie that clearly makes you uncomfortable.”

_She has a point,_ Jade rumbled to Izuku.

“Fine,” Izuku sighed, both to Uraraka and to Jade. “I will think about telling Yaoyorozu.”

“Yay!” Uraraka cheered. She slammed Izuku into a hug. “You won’t regret it!”

“I haven’t agreed yet,” Izuku chuckled.

“But I’m sure you will,” Uraraka told him as she pulled back from the hug. “You’re smart enough to see my point.”

***

Izuku and Yaoyorozu collected all of the students and gathered them in front of Heights Alliance the next morning, just as Aizawa had instructed. He had Yaoyorozu knock on the girls’ doors while he himself had gone through the boys’ side. Now they were just waiting for Aizawa and the bus, all of them dressed in their hero costumes. Izuku had left his sword in his dorm. Broken as it was it wouldn’t be much help.

“Does anyone even know where we’re going?” Kaminari yawned.

“I believe Aizawa said it was going to be rescue operations,” Yaoyorozu answered.

“Ah hell yeah!” Kirishima shouted excitedly. He seemed to have his usual level of energy, unlike much of the class. “That’s what being a hero is all about!”

The soft whine of an engine caught their attention and they turned to see a blue bus pull up. Aizawa poked his head out of the opening bus door.

“Get in,” he instructed simply, then his head disappeared back into the bus.

Izuku did a head count as the students loaded up the bus. After the seventeen other students had loaded up Izuku and Yaoyorozu got on. Izuku took a seat next to Tsuyu and Yaoyorozu took one near the back of the bus. The second they were both seated the bus took off.

“Midoriya,” Tsuyu said as she turned to him. “Where’s Jade?”

“Oh, he’s flying above us,” Izuku chuckled.

“I see,” Tsuyu nodded. “You know I’m a fairly blunt person.”

“Okay,” Izuku quirked his head curiously. He didn’t really know where this was going.

“Your quirk is weird,” she told him.

Izuku wasn’t really sure what to say to that. Luckily, he didn’t have to.

“Yo, Tsuyu, you can’t just call a guy out like that,” Kirishima laughed. “I mean quirks are weird in general. Most people can’t exactly turn their skin to stone.” To further accent his point, he smashed two hardened fists together.

“But I’m not even sure how to classify Midoriya’s quirk, kerro,” Tsuyu explained.

“He has a companion quirk,” Sato commented. “They’re rare, but I mean it’s the same as Tokoyami’s. Right?”

“Is it?” Tsuyu asked. “Midoriya is super strong and he can do that thing with those weird words. Tokoyami doesn’t have anything like that.”

“Your right Tsuyu,” Izuku sighed. “I don’t really have a companion quirk like Tokoyami, though that is how the doctor registered me.”

“So, what _do_ you have?” Tsuyu pushed.

Before Izuku could answer Aizawa stood up from the front of the bus. “We’re here,” he told them.

The bus stopped and the students quickly unloaded. They found themselves before a massive dome shaped building of ridiculous proportions. Even more amazing were the two heroes waiting for them. All Might and Thirteen were standing before the building, Jade sitting behind them. Toshi was wearing his golden age costume. He had his trademark smile on his face as Thirteen gave them a gentle wave.

“Hello students,” Thirteen greeted them. They waved the students to follow after them and began to head up the stairs. Jade waited behind for Izuku and the two headed up at the back of the pack. “Welcome to the USJ, or the Unforeseen Simulation Joint.”

“Over your years at UA you will become very familiar with this building,” Toshi laughed.

“Indeed,” Thirteen agreed. “I built this place to be the perfect training ground for all sorts of natural disasters.”

They entered through the enormous double doors, Jade barely fitting through, and took in the incredible sight of all of the different areas housed in the dome.

“From fires to floods the USJ is the greatest controlled disaster facility in Japan,” Thirteen told them proudly.

“Second in the world only to the hard-light facilities of I-Island,” Toshi agreed.

“Now before we get started, I had a little something I wanted to say,” Thirteen sighed as they turned back around to face the students. “I know many of you were shaken by the events that took place during All Might’s battle trial.”

An awkward silence instantly fell over the previously excited group of students.

“I know better than most how destructive quirks can be,” Thirteen told them. “My quirk, blackhole, destroys anything and everything it touches.”

“But you’ve used it to save hundreds of people as a rescue hero!” Uraraka shouted out, she sounded almost desperate.

“That’s right,” Thirteen agreed. “Because your powers are not solely for causing death and destruction. You have seen what a powerful quirk can do when left unchecked. Today I hope to show you the good that you can do even with the most destructive of abilities.”

There was a round of applause from the students of 1-A as Thirteen finished their speech. There was a renewed sense of excitement for the training that was rather nice. It made the sudden drop in air pressure all the more foreboding.

Izuku’s eyes instantly narrowed in on the growing purple portal that had appeared in the central plaza.

“Toshi,” Izuku called out as he drew his bow and an arrow.

Toshi turned to see the now armed Izuku and followed his gaze towards the portal. A number of dangerous looking thugs began to file out of the portal. There must have been close to a hundred of them. The last one through was an enormous purple man with a beak and an exposed brain. Then the portal collapsed and in its place was a man made of mist that looked exactly like the portal.

“A warp quirk,” Toshi muttered.

“Is this part of the training?” Kirishima asked.

“No,” Aizawa snapped as he stepped forward with his capture tape in hand.

“Those are real villains,” Toshi said, confirming Izuku’s suspicions.

Izuku switched his hold so that he had the bow and arrow pinched in his left hand, raising his right in front of him. He grabbed hold of the magical energy. Izuku could feel Jade adding his own strength so that Izuku would have more than enough energy for what he was planning. He took a calming breath and began casting.

**“Sle-”**

“Stop,” Aizawa commanded, cutting Izuku’s spell off before it could begin.

Izuku turned to his teacher with a raised eyebrow.

“You’re not authorized to act,” Aizawa spat.

“They aren’t going to care,” Izuku countered as he gestured to the crowd of villains. The villain with blue hair was excitedly pointing and ranting about something. “They’ll attack us without hesitation.”

“ _We_ will handle the villains,” Aizawa told him.

Izuku was ready to rebuttal. He wasn’t going to sit back like a damsel in distress while others risked their lives for him.

“Aizawa is right young Midoriya,” Toshi said before Izuku could say anything though. “Let us show you a hero is truly capable of!”

Toshi marched forward, Aizawa close beside him.

“Evacuate the students Thirteen,” Aizawa commanded. “Once you’re outside contact the school for backup. We’ll take care of the rest.”

“And young Midoriya,” Toshi called back. Izuku looked to see him with his trademark smile still proudly displayed. He gave Izuku a thumbs up. “Good job responding so quickly!”

With that Toshi leapt into the fray, Aizawa right behind him. Where as Toshi made an enormous dust cloud when he landed, Aizawa simply landed gracefully. The two instantly went to work. Aizawa stayed back and canceled out quirks, but it almost didn’t feel necessary. Toshi took out a score of villains in the blink of an eye.

It looked like Toshi was going to dispatch the entire crowd of villains, but he was stopped when the purple skinned goliath rushed forward. Toshi met his advance with a punch to the gut, but the creature took the blow like it was nothing.

“Midoriya,” Thirteen called out to him. “Now isn’t the time, we need to move!”

“Yes,” Izuku nodded as he turned away from the fight down below.

The other students were still on the move. Izuku quickly caught up with the pack, but the spiraling purple vortex that had brought the villains into the plaza opened up before them. A pair of glowing yellow eyes appeared amongst the mist.

“Greetings children,” a voice echoed from within the mist.

Izuku had no patience left though.

**“Sleep,”** he commanded, the magic readily answering his call after his canceled spell moments before. The full might Izuku had prepared to deal with a hundred plus villains fit into the single spell resulted in the misty villain falling to the floor out cold instantly.

The thunderous sound of Toshi’s smash filled the USJ. The students turned and watched as a purplish blur streaked up through the open air and collided with the dome. For a moment the metal dome held, and they could see the battered form of the purple skinned villain. But then the metal buckled, and the villain was sent flying from the building.

“Damn,” Kirishima murmured breathlessly.

“Come on,” Thirteen told them firmly. “We need to get you all outside.”

The students followed as Thirteen led them all outside, Jade grumbling slightly to Izuku about not getting to fight. Once they made it outside and Thirteen had radioed their situation to campus Thirteen had Izuku do a head count.

All nineteen students were present and accounted for. No one had any injuries, and while a few were a little shaken, the general atmosphere was still relatively light.

“Man, who would have believed there’d be a villain attack on the third day,” Kaminari laughed.

“Well, we are training to be heroes,” Tsuyu supplied. “It makes a sick kind of sense to try and take us out before we got proper training.”

“Yeah, but how dumb do you have to be to try and attack the school where the number one hero teaches,” Sero pointed out.

“Pretty stupid,” Kaminari agreed. “I mean did you see him send that purple dude flying?”

“Do you think he killed him?” Hagakure asked nervously.

“No way,” Mina waved her off. “All Might wouldn’t kill anyone.”

“Of course he would,” Izuku corrected, he felt his eyebrows knit into a frown. “Death is an inevitable part of battle.”

“But a hero shouldn’t kill, it isn’t manly,” Kirishima argued.

“And if you were left with the options of killing of a villain or letting civilians die?” Izuku questioned him. He kept his tone in the same one Saphira used in her teachings; firm but not unkind. He’d had this debate with her many times before he fully understood it. The first time he’d been five. He didn’t see her point for several years.

“But then aren’t we no better than the villains?” Yaoyorozu asked.

“No,” Izuku shook his head. “Because we fight for different causes. We fight for peace and order. We fight to protect the innocent. A villain fights against those very ideals and endangers all those around them.”

“He’s right,” Thirteen sighed. “It’s not a pretty part of the job, but heroes are often forced to take the lives of villains.”

Everyone turned to Thirteen. The hero seemed uncomfortable with the topic, but they were a rescue hero. This likely wasn’t something they had to deal with overly much.

“That’s not to say a hero should start with a killing blow or find satisfaction in taking a life,” Thirteen clarified. “But at the end of the day there are times where a hero has no choice but to take a life or let innocent people die.”

The students of class 1-A were much more subdued after that. They waited in silence. Eventually a band of heroes from the main campus arrived. They proceeded directly into the USJ once they got there. A few minutes later President Nedzu came back out.

“I am pleased to report that all the villains have been subdued and there were no injuries in their capture,” he told them as he hopped up onto Thirteen’s shoulder. “That being said I understand this event was unsettling. If any of you would like to make an appointment to see our school therapist, Dr. Hound Dog, then he will be available to you.”

There were a few murmurs from the gathered students before Nedzu continued.

“The police will be arriving shortly,” Nedzu explained. “Once they have collected statements from everybody the bus will return to Heights Alliance. Classes will be cancelled for the rest of the week as we reevaluate our security system and ensure your continued safety.”

With that Nedzu hopped down and headed back into the USJ. A few minutes later a number of police vehicles arrived, all tearing down the road with lights flashing. A battalion of officers stormed out of a variety of vehicles and directly into the USJ. Only a handful of officers stayed outside to set up a barrier. A man not in the uniform of an officer, but in a beige trench coat, came up to them.

“Hello everyone,” he greeted them. “My name is Detective Tsukauchi. I’ll be taking your statements.”

There was an awkward moment where everyone just stared at the detective.

“I don’t have a class roster, so I’ll take volunteers,” the detective told them.

Izuku shrugged and stepped forward.

“Can you tell me your name and quirk?” Tsukauchi asked.

“Midoriya Izuku and that’s my dragon Jade,” Izuku told him as he gestured to where Jade was watching over everything.

Tsukauchi’s eyebrows narrowed. “Can you clarify about your quirk please?” he pushed.

Izuku sighed. “I’m registered as having a companion quirk,” Izuku answered. “Jade is that companion.”

“You still haven’t answered my question,” Tsukauchi pointed out. “What is your quirk?”

“I don’t know,” Izuku relented. “I never got a satisfactory answer.”

He could see the shock on Tsukauchi’s face. Izuku could have lied, but he never liked saying Jade was just a quirk. It felt wrong to him.

_As needlessly noble now as when you were five,_ Jade huffed.

“You don’t know?” Tsukauchi echoed.

“No,” Izuku confirmed. “I don’t see what this has to do with the events of today.”

Tsukauchi stared at him for a moment as though only just remembering where he was. His eyes flashed to the students staring at them and he paled a little. “Right,” he nodded. “Let’s go somewhere more private and you can give me your statement.”

The two of them walked away from the other students, not that it really did much given that two of them had enhanced senses.

**“May we be warded from listeners,”** Izuku commanded with a wave of his hand.

“What was that?” Tsukauchi asked suspiciously.

“I have made it so that no one can overhear our conversation,” Izuku explained. “I assume that was the purpose of us moving away from my classmates.”

“Fine,” Tsukauchi nodded. “Now what can you tell me about the attack.”

“Not much,” Izuku told him. “We had arrived for rescue training with Aizawa, Toshi, and Thirteen.”

“Toshi?” Tsukauchi repeated.

“All Might,” Izuku corrected himself.

“You know Toshinori’s name?” Tsukauchi asked in disbelief.

“I’m pretty sure he’s dating my mom,” Izuku shrugged.

“Oh,” Tsukauchi remarked, he seemed far away as he said it though. He shook his head and returned to himself. “Okay then. Continue.”

So Izuku told him everything that had unfolded from the time they loaded the bus to the arrival of the officers.

“One last question,” Tsukauchi told him. “Did you know anything about the attack beforehand?”

“No,” Izuku answered. “I had my suspicions something was amiss after yesterday’s break in, but I had no knowledge of the attack.”

“That should be everything,” Tsukauchi sighed. “Go ahead and return to your classmates. And if you could have the next student come over that would helpful.”

“Of course,” Izuku nodded.

Izuku walked back over to everyone else. They were still pretty quiet.

“The detective is ready for whoever is comfortable going next,” Izuku told them.

“I’ll go,” Uraraka offered quickly. She went over to where the detective was waiting without waiting for an answer.

Once she was gone Izuku noticed that everyone was still looking at him.

“Yes?” he asked.

“What did you mean when you said you didn’t know what your quirk was?” Tsuyu spoke up. Izuku noticed several other members of the class nod along with her question.

“I meant just that,” Izuku answered calmly. “I am uncertain what my quirk is or even if I have a quirk.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Iida loudly declared as he chopped his hand through the air. “You clearly have a quirk. Your dragon companion did not just create himself.”

“You’re right,” Izuku agreed. Izuku could feel Jade watching the conversation. The dragon’s confidence and presence pushed him to continue. “I found Jade’s egg in the woods when I was five years old. At the time I had yet to develop a quirk.”

“You found his egg?” Yaoyorozu repeated.

“Yes,” Izuku nodded. He held up his hand and showed them the mark on his palm. “And when he hatched for me, we were bound together.”

“But wasn’t that just your quirk manifesting?” Kaminari asked doubtfully.

“No,” Izuku shook his head. “Jade’s egg had been there since long before I was born.”

“How do you know that?” Mina asked. She seemed rather curious about his story.

“Because he was not alone,” Izuku answered honestly. “My master was there, guarding his egg and waiting for the one who would be his rider.”

“So, he’s a manifestation of this other person’s quirk,” Iida concluded.

“No,” Izuku told him. Iida instantly seemed to deflate. “My master is also a dragon.”

“Aha!” Iida re-inflated. “So, then they might both be manifestations of your quirk.”

“And now you see why I have never received a satisfactory answer to what my quirk is,” Izuku sighed. “Quirks were so outlandish and impossible, and yet now they have made everyone blind to the possibility of other strange things existing in this world.”

“But you can’t possibly expect us to believe you just found a _real_ dragon egg?” Iida shouted.

“Believe what you will,” Izuku shrugged. “I simply did not wish to lie to any of you.”

There was silence after that. Izuku looked into the faces of his classmates and saw most of them looking at him with frowns. He couldn’t blame them. It really was a lot to take in. It didn’t do anything to stop the disappointment from clawing away at his chest.

“I believe you,” Tsuyu said suddenly. Izuku, and most of their classmates, looked to Tsuyu in shock. The frog quirked girl had her usual blank expression though. “I don’t necessarily understand it all, but I don’t think you’d lie to us.”

“I believe you too,” Yaoyorozu added. She looked like she was still processing everything.

Most of the other students began nodding or throwing out their own support. Izuku couldn’t help the small smile that pulled at his lips.

***

Momo was sure that Midoriya hadn’t been lying when he told them he had found Jade’s egg. But she couldn’t shake that feeling that he _did_ know what his quirk was. Afterall if he had a master, then he had someone to talk to about it all. So why didn’t he tell them which part of his powers were his quirk?

It had to be the physical enhancements. Right? Or was it the emitter type ability he displayed with those commands? He had said that they were spoken in a long dead language, was it the language of dragons? Did that mean anyone could do it?

Momo held her hand above her. She had heard enough of his commands. She could try one. But which one? It wasn’t exactly like she knew what they meant, only what they did. She’d seen him heal, but she was alone and no one was injured. She had seen him launch the softball during the ball throw, but that could damage her room. Maybe she could try the sleep command he had used on the mist man on herself and try and get some sleep rather than worry about this?

**“Slytha,”** Momo commanded clearly. She assumed pronunciation was important.

Nothing happened. Momo was still lying on her bed, awake, and thinking about Midoriya. Why couldn’t she get him out of her thoughts? Did she need answers so badly?

Momo got up from her bed and went to her wardrobe. It had barely fit in the room beside her bed, but they were things that reminded her of home. She was glad the movers had made it work. She changed out of her pajamas and into a pair of jeans and a light sweater, it wouldn’t due to show up so late in her nightclothes. People might get the wrong idea.

Momo left her room and headed for the ground floor. The common room was empty, a little surprising for only ten o’clock, but she was grateful. She headed up the boy’s side staircase and all the way up the rooftop. When she stepped out into the brisk April air, she was glad for the sweater.

Knocking on the door to the bungalow Momo was suddenly doubting her journey to Midoriya’s room. What if he were asleep? She would be disturbing his rest. And after a day like today he must be exhausted. She certainly felt that way. But that’s why she was here. She needed answers so that she could sleep.

Rather than the door opening, the overly large curtains to the side shifted. The enormous green head of Midoriya’s dragon poked out and looked straight at her. Momo had to hold back a shudder at the creature’s predatory gaze, but she was a hero in training. She held her head high and met his gaze with her own.

“Good evening,” she bowed slightly. “I’m sorry to disturb you so late at night. I was looking for Midoriya.”

The dragon watched Momo for a moment before answering. It made Momo want to fidget, but she had broken that habit long ago. She stood there calmly and waited.

_The hour is of little issue,_ the dragon told her. _Izuku is not here. He is working in the field below._

“The field?” Momo asked. “You mean the green?”

_Perhaps,_ the dragon chuckled. The deep rumbling sound shook the rooftop. _I think Izuku has called it such, but to me it is but another field._

“Thank you,” Momo bowed again. “I will go find him there.”

The dragon simply nodded and retracted its head back into the building. Momo found herself hesitant to leave the roof, but she had no idea why. Her feet were rooted in place as she stared at the black curtains that hid the dragon.

It was the distant sound of singing that broke Momo out of her stupor. She looked off towards the noise, but it was too distant to hear much besides the faint rise and fall. With a shake of her head Momo headed back down the stairs and to the common room.

“Yaomomo!” Uraraka shouted. She was just walking in through the front door as Momo was crossing the room. Uraraka excitedly ran up to her and grabbed her hand. “I was just coming to get you! You _have_ to see this.”

“See what?” Momo asked bewildered as Uraraka dragged her outside.

“You’ll see,” Uraraka laughed as she ran out into the green.

There was already a crowd gathered around. Momo could recognize the members of her class, but there were just as many students she didn’t recognize. There was some sort of light on the other side of them that made it hard to make out any finer details.

“What’s going on?” Momo asked.

“Just wait,” Uraraka insisted as she began pushing her way through the crowd. She brought Momo to the front where Mina was waiting for them.

Once she could see what the crowd was staring at, she understood. Midoriya was there, he was working a set of billows that were blowing into some sort of clay furnace that definitely hadn’t been there earlier. The bright light of the fire spilling out from the mouth of the furnace illuminated the entire scene.

There was a large wooden table set up to the side with a number of tools spread out across it. Momo didn’t recognize any of them beyond their basic shape. There were hammers and files and tongs, but what they were for she had no idea. There was a large barrel filled with some dark liquid beside a large metal anvil as well.

Midoriya was singing. Well maybe it was more like chanting? It was a much harsher rhythm than the song she had heard from him before. It was clearly the same though. The words hummed with power that sent goosebumps over her arms. The foreign words themselves meant nothing to her, but Momo tried her best to hear them all the same.

Midoriya had his long green hair tied back like he did when he was in his armor. He wasn’t wearing a shirt and the sweat poured down his face and chest, though whether the sweat was due to the heat or the exertion Momo wasn’t sure. His arms flexed with every pump of the billows, the strong corded muscles bulging out. His eyes were totally focused on his work. He never looked to the crowd that was chattering only a few meters away.

“Wha-” Momo tried to ask, but her throat was too dry to get the words out.

“We don’t know,” Mina answered with a vigorous shake of her head. “He’s been at it since the sun went down though apparently.”

“That was nearly four hours ago,” Uraraka provided happily. “We’ve only been out here for about thirty minutes.”

“Has he been singing this entire time?” Momo murmured.

“Yep,” Mina confirmed, popping the p as she did.

“Where did all of this even come from?” Momo asked a little louder.

“He already had most of it,” someone grunted beside them. Momo looked to find Powerloader, the professor in charge of the support course, watching Midoriya work beside them. “Brought it all down from that rooftop of his.”

“Most of it?” Momo repeated.

“He spent the first hour building that ore smelter,” Powerloader answered.

“Do _you_ know what he’s doing?” Uraraka asked him excitedly.

“He’s smithing a new sword,” Powerloader growled. “Apparently didn’t trust my students to make one for him.”

“Doesn’t UA have a forge?” Momo wondered.

“Pfft,” Powerloader huffed. “He took one look at my smithy and went back to Nedzu complaining about how you can’t rush the process. I swear he’s worse than Mei.”

“Hey!” a student from the crowd shouted defensively.

Midoriya reached back and grabbed the tongs off of the table. He used them to grab a glowing chunk of metal from the furnace and pulled it out. He looked at it for a moment before putting it back.

“What was that?” Mina asked.

“He’s making sure the heat is distributed evenly,” Powerloader explained. “If it ain’t then it’ll break when he’s hammering it.”

Midoriya went back to working the billows, the fire within the furnace growing brighter with every downward stroke. Momo watched in awe as Midoriya continued his work. Every now and then he would pull out a piece of the metal and inspect it, but otherwise he simply worked the billows and continued his song.

At one-point Midoriya pulled the metal from the fire and took it to the anvil. He used the hammer and beat the metal flat. The sound of the hammer ringing blended perfectly with the song he sang. He folded it over itself and beat it back into shape. He did that again, and again. Momo lost count of how many times he folded the metal in on itself. He did it so quickly and smoothly that it looked effortless.

“Powerloader, Powerloader, Powerloader!” A girl cried out as she flew through the crowd and latched onto Powerloader’s arm.

“God dammit Mei, what?” Powerloader cursed.

“Look,” she demanded as she pointed at Midoriya. “Doesn’t that remind you of how they used to make katanas!”

“Yeah,” Powerloader nodded. “Though it isn’t very popular these days.”

“Why not?” Momo inquired.

“Takes too long,” Powerloader laughed. “He’ll be at it for hours.”

Sure enough, Powerloader’s prediction came true. Midoriya worked the metal for hours. He would pound the metal flat and fold it over until the metal was no longer white hot. Then he’d put it back in the furnace and work the billows until he could continue. As the hours wore on, more and more people left. Momo barely even noticed though. She wondered if she should get some sleep herself, but she just couldn’t find it in her to leave the mesmerizing display.

When Midoriya finally stopped working, the air seemed too quiet without the sound of his song or the ringing of his hammer. Momo sat up as Midoriya wiped the sweat from his brow. She looked around, but the only person left from the earlier crowd was the pink haired girl with dreadlocks, but she had fallen asleep in the grass. The earliest light of pre-dawn was just beginning to lighten the sky.

“Yaoyorozu?” Midoriya called as he turned around. The fire was out in the furnace and all of the metal had been put on the table and covered up. He’d put on a shirt at some point as well. “What are you doing out here?”

“Oh,” Momo hesitated. “Well, you see, I wanted to speak to you about what you told us yesterday.”

“You didn’t wait out here all night, did you?” Midoriya asked with a small, worried frown.

“I did,” Momo nodded. She could feel the blush creeping into her cheeks. “I didn’t mean to. I simply found myself captivated watching you work.”

“Well, I’m happy to speak with you,” Midoriya told her. “Though we can put it off for a few hours if you’d like to get some sleep first.”

“No,” Momo shook her head. “I would rather not put it off any longer.”

“Why don’t we move into the common room then,” Midoriya offered. “I can make us some tea.”

“That sounds lovely,” Momo sighed.

The two of them headed back into the dorms in silence. Momo felt incredibly tense, but Midoriya seemed as graceful and untroubled as always. As she sat down at the table, he went to work putting together two cups of tea. He was sitting down with the steaming cups in what felt like an instant.

“It’s chamomile,” he said as he took a sip. “I thought it better to avoid caffeine so that we could both get some sleep.”

“Thank you,” Momo replied.

They sat together and sipped at their tea. Momo’s tension fell away as the soothing chamomile took effect. Midoriya was looking off to the side, watching the sun rise through the window. For having been working through the night Midoriya still looked perfect. His skin was still smooth and his eyes bright. She couldn’t imagine the mess she must look like.

It didn’t make it any easier to start. She wasn’t even sure what to say. It wasn’t like he owed her answers. Maybe she was being silly. But he was her friend, right? She could ask.

“Will you tell me more about it?” she asked.

“Where to start?” Midoriya chuckled. His voice was so light, it helped break the dark atmosphere that still clung to Momo’s mind. “Jade is from another world. One where dragons and elves and magic are all real.”

“Elves?” Momo gasped.

“Yeah,” Midoriya nodded as he reached up and rubbed at his ear. “Elves.”

Midoriya told her the story. He told her everything. He talked until the sun was high in the sky with Momo practically hanging on every word. The tale he told was ridiculous. It was impossible. She couldn’t find it in herself to doubt him.

***

Momo returned that next night as Midoriya went back to work at his makeshift forge. The crowd was bigger than the night before. It was rowdier too. It didn’t seem to bother Midoriya. He relit the fire and began working the billows as though he were alone, not even sparing a glance towards the crowd. It wasn’t long before he began chanting as well.

Momo wasn’t sure why she had returned. She just knew that she had wanted to see more. She hadn’t really thought on it beyond that.

So Momo sat on the grass and watched. The gentle sound of his song was soothing. It reminded her of listening to old records of orchestras with her father. The rise and fall of the music as the drums kept the tempo.

Momo watched all through the night once again. She was not alone this time. The pink haired girl who had fallen asleep the night before stayed awake the whole time. She didn’t speak to Momo and Momo made no attempt to speak to her either. The both of them simply watched.

When dawn came Midoriya invited Momo inside for tea once again. The two of them sat in the empty common room and spoke over another pot of chamomile. This time Midoriya spoke of his mother. He seemed to truly love her. The woman had sacrificed so much for her son it was hard to think he wouldn’t.

Again and again the pattern repeated itself. Momo went and watched Midoriya work through the night, his progress was slow, but he was making progress. When he had worked until morning light, he and Momo would share tea and talk. It was never as heavy as that first night. He told her of the farm he grew up on and his childhood. She told him about her father and mother and all of the staff at her home. They had such different experiences, but it only made Momo more interested in hearing his stories.

Sunday morning came and classes would be resuming the next day. Midoriya had already worked the chunks of metal into the rough shape of a sword. The blackened steel was still rough, but there was no mistaking what it was.

“What now?” Momo asked as she inspected the sword where it sat on the common room table.

“I will shape and sharpen before removing the tarnish,” Midoriya told her. “I’ll have to fashion a hilt and a scabbard as well. These things can be done by the light of day however. The long nights are over.”

“That’s good,” Momo nodded. “How long will it take?”

“A day,” Midoriya shrugged. “Perhaps more. It depends on both the blade and myself.”

“Will it be like the sword you had before?” Momo chuckled.

“No,” Midoriya shook his head. “That blade was fashioned in the style of the elves. This will be a rider’s blade in almost every sense.”

“Almost?” Momo repeated curiously.

“Almost,” Midoriya nodded sadly. “There are aspects that I cannot replicate in this world. A rider’s blade was made from the rarest of minerals in the land of Alagaësia. I have created my own blend of steel in an attempt to replicate the strength, but it is impossible to know if it will take to the magic as naturally.”

“That is unfortunate,” Momo agreed.

“The other missing aspect is more attainable, but no less impossible at the moment,” Midoriya sighed. “The hilt of a rider’s sword was always adorned with a precious jewel.”

Momo shook her head in shock. “What?” she asked in disbelief. “Forgive me Midoriya,” she blushed as she realized she was being rude. “I didn’t think you would care about something so superficial.”

“It’s okay,” Midoriya chuckled. “Though it is not as superficial as it would seem. You see the energy with which I cast my spells can be stored, but only within the precious gems of the earth.”

“But why would you need to store it?” Momo wondered aloud.

“I am strong, Jade is stronger still, but we are not gods,” Midoriya shrugged. “There are countless things that are beyond us. Magic still requires energy. By creating a stockpile, the list of impossibilities shrinks ever so slightly.”

Momo thought on his words. She could feel the frown form on her face as she considered it. It made sense. Midoriya hadn’t told her because he wanted to take advantage of her money or her quirk. He had told her because she had asked. But she wanted to help. That’s what friends did, right?

She could buy him one, but would he accept that? Momo didn’t think so. From what he had told Momo he wasn’t big on spending money. He had made almost everything he owned, buying only the basic materials when absolutely necessary.

But she could do that. She could _make_ a jewel for him. She’d never made jewels before, but she’d studied them enough that she knew how to do it. She just wasn’t sure. She’d always worried about abusing her quirk. The law was very strict against creation quirk users. But Midoriya didn’t want to sell it. He didn’t want to inflate his wealth. He needed it to be a better hero.

Momo cupped her hands together and thought through the chemical formulas. She could have made an emerald, the same rich deep green as his eyes, but not only was it overly extravagant, she wasn’t sure if she could give him something so intimate. Instead, she created magnesium, iron, silicon, and oxygen. She linked the molecules tightly, spinning a complex chain of connections.

The light of creation burned between her fingers. She stared, completely focused on her task. It didn’t take but a few moments, but even still she struggled, striving for complete perfection. When she uncoupled her hands, she revealed a beautiful peridot resting in her palm. 

It was the size of a golf ball. It’s round cut creating a cascade of light that sparkled inside. It was the same forest green color as Jade’s scales. It was everything she had hoped it would be.

“Are you sure?” Midoriya asked, his voice cutting straight through her thoughts.

“Yes,” Momo nodded confidently. She was proud of this. She looked away from it and at Midoriya who was watching her with patient eyes. “Take it, and may it keep you safe.”

“Thank you,” Midoriya bowed. “I will repay you for this act of kindness.”

“There’s no need Midoriya,” Momo sighed happily. She was glad he was accepting it so easily.

“Izuku,” he corrected her gently. “Please, call me Izuku.”

Momo stared at his bowed head with her mouth falling slightly agape. She did her best to keep away the blush. “Then call me Momo,” she said from a million miles away. She hid her smile in another sip of tea. Izuku straightened up, Momo put back her polite expression, and the two continued their talk long into the morning.


	3. Here we show the world

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Izuku and Jade are ready as the UA sport's festival gets underway and they get a chance to show the world exactly what they're here for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter is shorter! Yay! I think. Hope you guys enjoy it!

“Dammit all!” he screamed as he slammed his fist down into the bank of monitors again. They were long since destroyed, but he could still feel the rage bubbling in his stomach.

“Sir you need to calm down!” the doctor begged. “So much activity isn’t good for you!”

“And yet that buffoon,” All for One spat through his teeth. “Manages to remain as active and powerful as ever.”

“He cannot be,” the doctor insisted. “You told me yourself, you destroyed him. Tore through his chest and shredded his organs. There aren’t healing quirks strong enough to fix that.”

“You’ve seen the footage,” All for One reminded the doctor angrily. “That Nomu managed to hold over a dozen quirks. All Might beat it in a dozen punches.”

“He still hasn’t found a successor,” the doctor offered as though it were some great gift.

“What need does he have for a successor?” All for One laughed bitterly. “At this rate he’ll destroy all villainy in Japan.”

“You aren’t dead yet,” the doctor defended him hotly.

“No,” All for One agreed. He turned back to the heap of metal and wires that had once been his bank of monitors. “I’m not dead yet.”

The doctor had been All for One’s most useful subordinate to date. Now that he had lost Kurogiri and Shigaraki he was almost the last one left too. But they could make more. He could work through this. All Might would _not_ be the one to defeat him. He refused to be made a mockery of in such a way. He just needed to know how the bastard had done it. How had All Might survived his punch?

“What was that about a healing quirk doctor?” All for One asked thoughtfully. He had the beginnings of a thought, and it was a wonderful thought indeed.

***

Aizawa stormed into the room with his usual lack luster style. He slumped up to the podium and looked out over the students of 1-A. He looked the same as ever, bored, tired, and absolutely done with them.

“I hope you’re all ready,” Aizawa began forebodingly. The tension in the room instantly skyrocketed. “It’s time to start preparing you for the sport’s festival.”

With that the tension cracked and fell away, leaving a slightly stunned 1-A staring at Aizawa.

“That’s it?” Ojiro sighed.

“I mean it is really important,” Hagakure responded. “It’s a chance for heroes to notice us and offer us internships and stuff.”

“Sure,” Jiro nodded. “It just seems kinda dangerous after the villain attack last week.”

“I understand that the attack on the USJ was unprecedented,” Aizawa agreed. “I ask however that you trust the staff of this school to continue to keep you safe. All the villains who infiltrated campus were captured and there is no reason to suspect any secondary attack.”

“I guess that makes sense,” Jiro muttered.

“You all need to take this event seriously,” Aizawa told them. “You only get this chance four times. Heroes, civilians, even villains, they’re are all going to be watching. If you make a fool of yourself then you’ll never be taken seriously as a hero.”

“Way to lay on the pressure,” Kaminari groaned.

Aizawa silenced him with a glare. “To ensure you don’t embarrass yourselves or UA your upcoming Foundational Heroics Studies classes will be dedicated to preparing you for the festival. We start today after lunch. Be ready.”

***

Preparations for the sports festival basically boiled down to sparring against various classmates. They were allowed full use of their quirks, but they weren’t allowed their hero costumes as they weren’t going to be allowed them during the sport’s festival. It meant Izuku had to go without his new sword or his bow, but even still he was fairly confident.

They were sparring in pairs. Each match lasted ten minutes and then they would rotate partners. Izuku was excited to find that his first partner was Uraraka. He was already headed off with her to an open section of the mat when Aizawa stopped him.

“Midoriya,” Aizawa called.

“Yes sir?” Izuku asked as he turned around.

“Thirteen informed me about your actions at the USJ,” Aizawa explained. Izuku didn’t flinch or shy away from Aizawa’s heavy glare. The exhausted hero eventually sighed, his expression returning to his usual apathetic one. “I don’t care if you use your abilities, but ensure your partners are conscious when you switch. Understood?”

“Yes sir,” Izuku nodded.

He turned back and jogged over to where Uraraka was waiting.

“What was that about?” Uraraka asked as she bowed towards Izuku.

“He was worried I’d just put everyone to sleep,” Izuku told her as he bowed back.

As the two stood up straight once again, Uraraka rushed forward with her arm outstretched. Izuku let her get close and then swatted her wrist away.

“Ow,” Uraraka hissed as she jumped back. “That hurt.”

“Sorry,” Izuku apologized, though he never dropped his guard.

“So why haven’t you used any of those fancy powers of yours?” Uraraka asked as she circled around Izuku.

**“Stop,”** Izuku commanded.

Uraraka froze. Despite the visible strain as she pushed against the magic holding her, she couldn’t move an inch. Izuku waited a moment before he released the spell.

“It teaches neither of us anything,” Izuku explained as she instantly began circling him again, a much grimmer look on her face.

“It teaches me how dangerous you are,” Uraraka countered.

“I suppose,” Izuku sighed. He leapt aside of another rush from Uraraka. “But that isn’t the point of sparring. We’re supposed to be pushing each other to become better fighters.”

“Fine,” Uraraka grumbled. “But I don’t want to hear any complaints when I win.”

With that she lunged forward once again. When Izuku swatted her wrist away she spun with the blow, sweeping low to the earth and trying to kick his feet out from under him. Izuku hopped gently over her leg and kicked out gently. His kick hit Uraraka in the shoulder and it knocked her off balance. She landed on her butt with a huff.

“I’m not finished yet,” she growled as she leapt to her feet.

_Who knew she burned with such fire!_ Jade laughed in Izuku’s mind. Izuku just rolled his eyes and prepared for another attack.

***

They were down to just a few days before the sport’s festival. All in all, preparations were going well. Izuku had sparred with all of his classmates at least once and each one pushed him in a different way. He was actually starting to get pretty excited.

“Midoriya,” Aizawa called at the end of class.

“Yes sir?” Izuku asked as he approached the desk.

“Don’t forget you have to do the opening speech,” he told him.

“Okay,” Izuku nodded. “Any rules?”

“Don’t curse,” Aizawa grunted. “Beyond that no one cares.”

“Thank you for letting me know,” Izuku bowed.

“Whatever,” Aizawa sighed. He laid back down under the desk, dragging his yellow sleeping bag up around his shoulders as he went. “Class is over,” he called out from the floor.

The students of 1-A began collecting their things. It was almost funny how quickly they had grown accustomed to Aizawa. Izuku just shook his head and headed for the door. When he opened it, he was met with a large crowd of students.

“Hello,” he greeted them with a polite bow. “May I help you all?”

There were a few soft murmurs from the crowd, but no one stepped forward immediately. The other students of 1-A were beginning to come up behind Izuku now.

“What are they all doing here?” Uraraka asked nervously.

“Scoping out the competition,” Shinso guessed. “At least that’s what I would do.”

“Competition?” a voice called condescendingly from the crowd. A boy with straight blond hair stepped forward with a sneer. “I don’t see any competition here, just a bunch of cowards who think that they’re better than everyone else.”

“I’m sorry if we have done anything to give that impression,” Izuku said with another bow. “My name is Midoriya Izuku. It is a pleasure to meet you.”

“Save it,” the boy laughed harshly. “We don’t need to associate ourselves with 1-A scum like you.”

“Excuse me?” Momo asked angrily as she pushed past Uraraka. “You are the ones who came to our classroom and accosted us. Now please either address us with some decorum or leave.”

“Yeah!” Kirishima agreed from the back of the crowd. “You’re acting super unmanly!”

“Like I care what a discount Tetsutetsu or some stuck up rich bitc-”

**“Silence,”** Izuku growled, the white-hot magic flowing through him as his stomach boiled with anger just as hot.

_Izuku?_ Jade asked as the sudden shift in Izuku’s mood woke him from his nap. The dragon’s concern and curiosity did little to wear away at Izuku’s anger.

“I will not allow you to stand there and speak poorly of my classmates,” Izuku seethed.

The confident sneer on the boy’s face quickly shifted to an expression of confusion and fear as his surely snarky response never left his throat.

The crowd behind the boy shrunk back as they took in the anger radiating off of Izuku.

“Now if you’ll excuse us,” Izuku huffed as he fixed the strap of his leather messenger bag. “I believe my classmates and I would like to leave.”

Izuku marched forward and the crowd parted before him. No one else in the crowd dared to speak up as 1-A followed behind Izuku and back to the dorms.

***

Momo was sitting with Izuku sharing one last morning cup of tea before the sport’s festival. She wasn’t sure how or why they had kept up the habit, but every morning when she came down, she found Izuku sitting with a pot of tea and an extra cup.

He was every bit as calm and collected this morning as on all the other ones. It wasn’t that Momo was unaccustomed to the untroubled masks people wore, but for most people they were just that. Masks. With Izuku it was different.

“Are you nervous at all?” Momo asked him.

“Not really,” he told her. “I will go out there and give my all. That is all any of us can do.”

“And if it isn’t enough?” Momo pushed. It wasn’t that she wanted to _make_ him nervous. More of the opposite actually. The knot in her stomach had been there for days and she was desperate for it to be gone. “What if I go out there and make a fool of myself?”

“You won’t,” Izuku assured her.

“How do you know that?” she huffed.

“Do you know what happened the first time I fired a bow?” Izuku asked.

“No?” Momo answered, confused at the sudden shift in conversation but willing to follow along.

“I missed the target and put an arrow through my TV,” he told her.

Momo’s laughter burst from her so suddenly she almost spilled her tea. It was a single guffaw unlike any noise Momo had ever made before.

“And now I trust myself to hit an apple at a hundred meters,” he continued, Momo eternally grateful he didn’t comment on her laugh. “Failures and struggles are not things to look down upon. They only help us grow. You cannot succeed without them.”

Momo sighed. The knot in her stomach wasn’t gone, but it was definitely much less intense.

“Thank you,” Momo bowed.

“Any time Momo,” Izuku nodded with a small smile. He held up the kettle. “Another cup?”

***

“Midoriya,” Todoroki called coldly. Izuku looked up to find the dual-colored teen standing before him. They were in the 1-A waiting room. The sport’s festival was about to begin. “I believe I’m stronger than you.”

“Okay,” Izuku nodded. He would disagree, but it really wasn’t worth arguing about.

Todoroki scowled. “I don’t care if you are some mystical dragon chosen prodigy,” he grunted. “I’m going to beat you and prove that I will be number one.”

“Whoa man,” Sato laughed. “Take it easy. We’re all friends here.”

“I’m not here to make friends,” Todoroki snapped at him. He turned back to Izuku. “You better not hold back.”

“A declaration of war between the strongest,” Kirishima exclaimed excitedly. “That’s so manly!”

“Will the students please make their way to the field,” Present Mic instructed over the stadium loudspeaker.

Together the students of 1-A made their way out of the waiting room. As they came out of the tunnel and into the bright sunlight that filled the stadium, they could hear Present Mic announce their arrival.

“Here they are ladies and gentlemen,” Present Mic shouted. “The students who faced villains in their first week. The resilient students of hero course 1-A!”

They made their way towards the center of the field where Midnight waited for them on a stage.

“Don’t forget about their fellow hero course, 1-B!” Present Mic called as the students of the other hero course followed them onto the field.

“The students of the support course are here to strut their stuff too!” Present Mic continued as a bunch of students decked out head to toe in support equipment came out.

“And last but not least we have a number of students representing the general education department!” Present Mic finished as a final group of students came out onto the field. It was by far the largest. Each student had a look up utter determination on their face. “As you all know, not every general education student can compete. These are the lucky hundred who won the lottery for a chance to compete before you today. They’re hoping to prove they’re capable enough to move up into the hero course, so don’t count them out just yet!”

The crowd cheered for the students. There wasn’t much to do but stand there and take it all in. Some of the more excitable students waved or screamed to family watching. Once the crowd’s cheers began dying out, Midnight cracked her whip and drew everyone’s attention.

“Hello boys and girls,” she winked. “Welcome to the UA sport’s festival. To get this party started we’ll have the first-year representative, Midoriya Izuku, come up and say some opening words.”

Izuku began making his way to the stage to the sound of some gentle applause.

“As always Midoriya was chosen because he placed first in the UA entrance exam,” Midnight explained as he was walking. “Midoriya here not only scored first, but he broke the record for the highest score ever achieved!”

There was a moment of awkward awe where the applause died out before an eruption of noise dominated the stadium. Midoriya walked up the stairs and across the stage as the noise really reached an absurd level. He waited at the microphone until the crowd had quieted down again.

“Hello,” he bowed. “I am not one for flowery speeches, so I will do my best to keep this short.”

There was some appreciative applause from the crowd at that as well as a few chuckles.

“We are here to show the people of Japan their future heroes,” he went on. “We aim to prove that we are up to the responsibilities before us. We will let our actions speak for us.”

As Midoriya finished his speech the applause of the crowd was overpowered by a ferocious roar. Jade circled the stadium as the crowd screamed and pointed before the dragon slammed down behind Izuku. There was a moment of subdued shock and then the audience roared with cheers and applause once again. When Jade roared this time, the sound blended with the applause.

Midoriya walked off the stage and back into the crowd. Jade stayed behind the stage as Midnight took her place at the mic once again. Midoriya received some smiles and thumbs ups from his classmates, but any of their encouragements or praises were lost in the cacophony surrounding them.

“All right!” Midnight screamed into the microphone, finally quieting the crowd back down. “Now let’s get our first round started. This round will function as a qualifier and we’ll see our largest cut at the end.”

Midnight gestured towards the screen behind her where a spinning wheel was displayed. It spun so fast that Izuku couldn’t read what any of the cards said.

“And it looks like this year’s qualifier will be a…” Midnight cracked her whip and the spinning wheel stopped instantly. The card it stopped on read “Obstacle Course!”

“The course will be a 4 km track that goes around the stadium and returns the students to the field,” Midnight explained. “The only rule is that you can’t leave the course!”

A metal start gate rose out of the floor and all the students began pushing their way towards it. The jostling crowd shoved Izuku along with it.

“Have fun boys and girls!” Midnight called after them with a laugh.

The red light on the side of the gate flashed. Seconds later the yellow flashed as well. The crowd around Izuku was like a kicked beehive, an angry buzz filling the air as students all but attacked anyone nearby. So, when the green light finally flashed Izuku wasted no time.

Izuku wove his way forward, slipping beneath thrown elbows and through the smallest of gaps. He made it through the crowd and was the first one to reach the other side of the tunnel and return to the open air.

He could hear shouts of anger from behind him, but he didn’t bother turning back. Instead, he allowed his stride to lengthen and his steps to quicken. He practically flew down the track.

Of course, Jade had simply chosen to fly over the gate and avoid the crowd entirely. It wasn’t exactly in line with Midnight’s rule, but then again Jade wasn’t really a competitor.

 _I heard that,_ Jade huffed.

 _You aren’t,_ Izuku chuckled mentally.

 _Keep telling yourself that after I win,_ Jade taunted.

“And there in the lead is Midoriya Izuku,” Present Mic’s voice called from the stadium speakers. “His dragon, Jade, flying above as the two quickly come up to the first obstacle.”

As Mic’s voice echoed over the track Midoriya saw what he was referring to. An army of villain robots from the entrance exam stood ready and waiting, a line of zero pointers making a nearly impenetrable wall.

_Have fun,_ Jade teased as he took off higher into the air.

Izuku just rolled his eyes.

“What’s this?” Present Mic asked. “Has Midoriya sent Jade away? What is he planning?”

“I doubt he has anything planned,” the bored voice of Aizawa droned through the speakers. “Jade is a fully independent creature with a competitive streak. He probably intends to race Midoriya to the end.”

Izuku was a little surprised at Aizawa’s astute analysis of Jade’s personality. The two hadn’t had that much time together for him to come to such an accurate conclusion.

_Like you’re any better,_ Jade snarked.

“If that’s the case than Midoriya will have to navigate the robo-inferno on his own!” Mic called happily.

Izuku stared out over the battalion of enemies before him and sighed as he ran. Might as well make sure they weren’t going to hurt anybody else.

Izuku reached out with his mind. Energy whirled around within the robots the same way it did a living being. He reached out and grabbed that energy, drawing it into himself. Glowing red eyes flickered and died as the robots before him began falling to the floor. Izuku continued to run as he navigated the newly formed robot graveyard. He felt renewed, if a little overly energetic.

“A-amazing!” Present Mic stammered in disbelief as Izuku leaped onto and then over the fallen form of a zero pointer. “Midoriya has single handedly dealt with the entire first obstacle without so much as slowing down.”

Izuku leapt down from the zero pointer and took off running down the track again. He could see Jade flying out ahead of him, the dragon having picked up his speed while Izuku was dealing with the robots.

_Flying will always be faster,_ Jade told him.

_I know,_ Izuku sighed. He ran as fast as he could, but even still Jade slipped further and further away.

Izuku spared a look behind him, but he couldn’t see anyone over the mountain of zero pointers he had left in his wake. With a shrug he refocused and continued to run.

“Let’s see if the second obstacle proves as easy as the first for our front runner,” Present Mic laughed. “If you fall here, you’re out! Welcome to…the Chasm!”

Izuku could see the second obstacle Mic was describing. A large canyon had been carved through the track. It must have been fifty meters wide and Izuku couldn’t see the bottom. There were spires spaced throughout. Some of them were connected by thin lengths of wire while others were untethered.

Izuku would have to thank Saphira for forcing him to develop the balance of an elf. Hours and hours of running from tree branch to tree branch meant he was ready. He did not slow down as he began racing along the wires and across the shortest path he could find. He came to a few dead ends, but he simply leapt to the next pillar and continued on his way.

“What a display of grace and agility by Midoriya!” Present Mic shouted.

Once on the other side Izuku continued his run. It really didn’t feel like much time had passed before Mic was shouting about him again.

“What sort of training are you putting them through?” Mic laughed.

“Midoriya has undergone rigorous training of his own,” Aizawa explained in a bored tone. “That kind of balance only comes from years of practice.”

Izuku was glad Aizawa wasn’t just writing it off as a side effect of his bond with Jade. There were a number of things that were surely connected, and he doubted he could have achieved the results of his physical training without the magic that coursed through him. But it did nothing to diminish the effort Izuku had had to put in.

“And he’s already at the last obstacle folks,” Present Mic announced. “Here comes Jade, swooping back down onto the field as Midoriya is left to navigate… the Minefield!”

Once again Izuku did not slow as he came upon the obstacle Mic announced. The mines were clearly marked by the disturbed earth, so it was a simple matter to avoid them. The minefield stretched for about half a kilometer. Izuku quickly crossed the minefield and passed through the gate with little effort.

“And he’s done it!” Present Mic cheered. “Midoriya has absolutely breezed through the obstacle course. Let’s give him a round of applause ladies and gentlemen!”

The crowd cheered in approval as Izuku gave a single bow. The cheers quickly died out as Mic continued his commentary on the others still racing. The stadium screen showed Todoroki sliding across the wires of the chasm.

_I won,_ Jade thought smugly.

Izuku turned away from the screen and to the dragon who was sitting with his chest thrust out proudly. He had brought up a single claw on his foreleg to clean.

_Well done,_ Izuku laughed.

_You’re no fun,_ Jade huffed.

_Give me a break,_ Izuku smiled with a shake of his head. _When was the last time I beat you in a race?_

 _I still like it when you make me work for it,_ Jade grumbled.

_Alright,_ Izuku agreed. _Next time I’ll be sure to win then._

 _Good,_ Jade nodded contently. His enormous green eyes fixed Izuku with an excited look. _It’ll make crushing you all the more satisfying._

Izuku laughed gently.

Todoroki storming through the gate drew his attention. The dual-colored teen glared at Izuku as he panted at the finish line. Without saying a thing, he stormed away and to the opposite side of the field.

_See,_ Jade hummed. _That is what the fire of competition looks like._

 _I don’t know if it is anything so noble,_ Izuku sighed as he looked at Todoroki. He had switched to glaring angrily at the crowd around them.

_Well, we shall crush him regardless,_ Jade huffed.

With Todoroki’s arrival the other students began trickling in. First it was one at a time, but then in a rush a steady stream of students came through the gate.

Uraraka ran up to him the moment she was through the gate.

“That was amazing Midori!” she cheered as she hugged him. “We couldn’t see you at all, but we heard Present Mic’s commentary.”

“Indeed,” Momo agreed as she approached as well. She was still panting slightly from exertion. “Though I’m curious as to how you dealt with all of the robots.”

“Ah,” Izuku chuckled. “I suppose you could say I stole the electricity that was flowing through them.”

Momo and Uraraka stared at him in disbelief. Before either one could say anything though the day continued.

“And that’s it!” Midnight screamed as Aoyama came through the finish line. A metal gate slammed down behind him and the next student slammed against it. “The cut off this year was right at 40 students. To the rest of you who didn’t qualify for the next round, thank you for competing and better luck next year.”

Izuku looked around at the forty students that were now on the field. All of 1-A had made it. Based on the fact that all but one of the other students were huddled together he’d guess all of 1-B made it too. The student that stood apart from the crowd was a girl with pink dread locks and a ton of support gear. She looked familiar, but Izuku wasn’t sure where he’d seen her before.

“Now please direct your attention to the jumbotron and we’ll find out what our second event will be!” Midnight announced.

Everyone turned and found the spinning wheel once again displayed on the screen. It spun and spun until Midnight cracked her whip and it stopped just as suddenly as last time. It stopped on a card that read man hunt.

“A true classic,” Midnight chuckled. “We’ll be throwing our forty contestants in a maze. Each student will be given a bandana with points that must be clearly displayed on their person. They’ll have ten minutes to try and navigate the maze and collect as many bandanas as possible.”

That didn’t seem so bad.

“Now for the points,” Midnight continued. “Each student’s points will be determined by their finishing place. 40th place will have a bandana worth 5 points. 39th’s will be worth ten. The points will continue to increase in this fashion up until 2nd place who will have a bandana worth 195 points. First place, however, will have a bandana worth 10 million points!”

All eyes turned to Izuku, hungry and desperate. It might have been intimidating to anyone else, but Izuku saw the 10 million points for what it was. Not a target on his back, but a free pass to the next round.

Forty Ectoplasm clones rushed onto the field. Each one came up to a student and handed them the bandana it carried. It then made sure they properly displayed them. Izuku took his head band and tied it around his left arm.

“Don’t worry about getting started,” Midnight laughed as walls began to rise out of the earth around the students. “Because your ten minutes starts now!”

As she finished her announcement the walls stopped growing and the ectoplasm clone burst into goo.

Izuku and Jade didn’t even have to discuss their strategy before they put it into place. Jade flew up into the air and began circling just above the top of the stadium. From there he could see the entire maze. Jade kept an eye on things and Izuku used their shared knowledge to navigate the labyrinth and avoid everyone else.

“How is Midoriya doing it?” Present Mic asked after about five minutes of Izuku narrowly avoiding the pursuing students.

“He and Jade have a psychic connection,” Aizawa sighed. Mic knew that of course, so his question was more to force Aizawa to answer. “By having Jade fly above the stadium, he has info on everyone else’s locations as well as the layout of the maze.”

“Is that cheating?” Present Mic laughed.

“He hasn’t left the maze so no,” Aizawa grunted.

Honestly, it was a pretty boring event. After Aizawa’s explanation of how he was avoiding the others a few tried to take out Jade, but even as large as he was, he proved too agile for any of them to hit. At the end of the ten minutes Izuku still had his 10-million-point bandana.

“Another impressive display by our students,” Present Mic called. The walls began falling back into the earth. “Now let’s see who our sixteen finalists will be!”

Izuku looked up to the scoreboard and was quite pleased to see his name first on the list with his 10 million. He did go ahead and read the rest of the top sixteen as well.

  1. Midoriya Izuku
  2. Iida Tenya
  3. Shinso Hitoshi
  4. Ashido Mina
  5. Todoroki Shouto
  6. Yaoyorozu Momo
  7. Tokoyami Fumikage
  8. Uraraka Ochako
  9. Kirishima Ejiro
  10. Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu
  11. Aoyama Yuga
  12. Sero Hanta
  13. Shiozaki Ibara
  14. Hatsume Mei
  15. Monoma Neito
  16. Kendo Itsuka



Izuku was surprised to see so many names from 1-A, but he was proud of his classmates for doing so well. Now they would just have to wait and see who they would be fighting.

“For our final round,” Midnight said with a crack of her whip to get the audience’s attention. “We will of course be doing a one-on-one single elimination tournament!”

The crowd roared its approval. This was really what they came to see.

“You know I love to make you wait for it though,” Midnight winked. “We’ll be announcing the tournament bracket after a one-hour recess for lunch!”

A groan of disappointment swept through the stadium, but Midnight had already left the stage.

 _I think she’s funny,_ Jade hummed.

 _You would,_ Izuku shook his head.

“Let’s go get some lunch Midori!” Uraraka called.

Izuku turned and found her with Momo, Kirishima, and Mina.

“That sounds wonderful,” Izuku nodded as he approached the small group.

“We gotta celebrate your victory bro!” Kirishima cheered as he threw an arm around Izuku’s shoulder. Izuku had to crouch down a little so Kirishima didn’t pull him down. “I’ll buy you lunch!”

“You don’t have to do that,” Izuku chuckled as they walked off the field.

“I know that,” Kirishima assured him. “But you’re my bro and you got freaking first place in both events so far. You deserve a reward!”

“What do you think Yaomomo?” Mina asked teasingly. If Izuku was anyone else, then he probably wouldn’t have been able to hear it. “Do you want to give Midoriya a _reward?_ ” The flirtatious tone almost brought a blush to Izuku’s face.

If the squeak from where Momo was standing behind him was any indication she was probably less successful in hiding her reaction.

“Everything okay Yaomomo?” Kirishima asked, turning around to face the girls who were walking behind them.

“Fine,” Momo assured him with a slightly strained tone.

“Hello young heroes!” a voice boomed through the hall and got all of their attentions. They turned and found Toshi standing further down the passageway.

“All Might!” Kirishima and Mina shouted out at the same time.

“Yes,” Toshi nodded. “ _I_ am here.”

“That’s awesome!” Kirishima exclaimed as he pumped his fist in the air. He laughed as he jumped up a little. “What can we do for you sir?”

“Nothing at all,” Toshi laughed. “I was just escorting someone down.”

Toshi turned to the side and revealed Izuku’s mom standing behind him. She was still clutching several tissues in her hand and her eyes were red rimmed.

“Mom?” Izuku gasped.

“Oh Izuku!” Inko cried as she threw herself at him.

Izuku caught her in his arms and brought her into a gentle hug.

“Oh, my baby!” Inko sobbed. “First place! Both times!”

“Why don’t you guys go on ahead,” Izuku waved to his friends.

“Of course,” Momo nodded. “You two take your time.”

“Thank you,” Izuku smiled.

Toshi led the group away and Izuku and Inko were left alone in the dark passageway. Eventually his mom calmed down and released him. The two of them walked slowly after the group.

“I didn’t know you were coming Mom,” Izuku chuckled.

“Toshi worked it out as a surprise,” Inko told him. “He’s such a sweet man.”

“Has he asked you out yet?” Izuku asked.

“Izuku!” his mom chided with a slap on his arm.

“That isn’t a no,” Izuku pointed out. “Is this a date?”

“Oh, and what about you mister?” his mom countered. “Don’t think I didn’t see all those beautiful women behind you.”

“Changing the subject?” Izuku asked.

“Oh? So I’m right?” Inko smiled.

“Mom,” Izuku huffed.

Inko cackled at him. “I’m just teasing Izuku,” she assured him. “So, don’t be scared to bring one of them home okay?”

“I know Mom,” Izuku sighed. “I will.”

“Good,” Inko harrumphed. The two of them walked in silence for a minute before she continued. “I’m so proud of you Izuku.”

Izuku felt the pride bubble in his chest. It bubbled into his eyes in the form of tears too, but he blinked those back.

“You’re doing amazing Izuku,” she told him as she wrapped him in a hug outside the doors to the student cafeteria. “So, you get out there and win, okay?”

“Of course, Mama,” Izuku nodded as he hugged her back. “You’re sitting with Toshi right?”

“Yeah,” Inko confirmed. “He got us a private box. It has drinks and everything.”

“So, this _is_ a date for you,” Izuku laughed.

“I suppose,” Inko huffed. “Now why don’t you go get lunch with your girlfriends.”

Izuku laughed again and the two hugged one last time before they parted ways. Izuku went straight for the line. The line was relatively slow, but Izuku waited patiently.

“Midoriya,” a cold voice called. Izuku turned to see Todoroki glaring angrily at him. “Can I have a word?”

“Sure Todoroki,” Izuku nodded.

“I’d rather do this in private,” Todoroki told him as he looked around the crowded cafeteria.

“Fine,” Izuku sighed. So much for lunch.

Izuku followed Todoroki back into the passageways of the stadium. They walked into a deserted corridor and Todoroki leaned against one of the walls. Izuku leaned against the wall opposite him and waited. Todoroki’s face went through several emotions. His eyebrows remained furrowed the entire time. After several minutes of silence passed Todoroki finally spoke.

“You deserve to know why I have to beat you,” Todoroki explained. His scowl was still fierce on his face. “Everyday of my life has been consumed by my father’s mission to surpass All Might.”

“Your father’s mission?” Izuku repeated. “And why have you let _his_ mission consume you?”

Todoroki took a steadying breath. “What do you know about quirk marriages Midoriya?”

“A quirk marriage?” Izuku asked, he could hear the worry in his own voice. It didn’t sound like a happy thing the way Todoroki said it. “What is that?”

Todoroki laughed bitterly. He explained what a quirk marriage was, and how it had shaped his life. By the time Todoroki had finished telling Izuku his story, a story of abuse and manipulation, Izuku and Jade were both livid. Their anger burned across their connection and grew stronger by their combined indignation.

“What’ll you do?” Izuku asked him, struggling to keep his voice level.

“I’ll prove I can be a hero without his damned quirk,” Todoroki seethed. “Today is just the first step.”

“No,” Izuku shook his head. “What’ll you do about him?”

“What?” Todoroki shook his head.

“He needs to answer for what he’s done,” Izuku explained.

“He’s the number two hero,” Todoroki sighed tiredly. “Even if anyone would listen, no one could touch him.”

“Bullshit,” Izuku seethed. Todoroki was staring at him in utter shock. “I listened. We can’t let him get away with this.”

“Shouto!” an angry voice echoed down the passageway.

Izuku and Todoroki turned to see Endeavor, flames alight, standing at the end of the corridor.

“What are you doing down here?” Endeavor snapped. “You were supposed to meet me after the second event.”

_Stop him,_ Jade growled.

“Apologies,” Izuku bowed as he stepped between Todoroki and his father. “I asked Todoroki to speak with me.”

“You,” Endeavor sneered. “You’re the boy that beat my Shouto in the first two events.”

Izuku tried to keep calm. Endeavor’s phrasing was the very embodiment of what was wrong. Izuku could feel Jade’s rage mixing with his own, the two feelings boiling within him.

“Once he gets past this childish tantrum of his you won’t stand a chance against him,” Endeavor continued. “He is my perfect creation and I have trained him better than to fail.”

“He isn’t yours,” Izuku corrected him in the most level tone he could manage.

“What was that brat?” Endeavor seethed.

“You do not _own_ Todoroki,” Izuku said. He took a breath before he continued. He was so angry that it was a struggle. “He will never be you and his achievements will never be yours.”

Endeavor’s flames flared around him as his face contorted in rage. The hero drew back a hand to strike at Izuku. Izuku’s foot connected with Endeavor’s chest.

***

“Izuku isn’t _here_ either,” Momo sighed disappointedly as they made it to the seats reserved for 1-A. “I hope everything’s okay.”

“Aww, you’re so cute worrying about him Yaomomo,” Mina shrieked happily as she threw herself down into the seats.

“I’m sure he’s fine,” Kirishima assured her as he straightened Mina out so she occupied only a single seat. “Midoriya’s gotta be the strongest in the class. He can take care of himself.”

“Kirishima’s right Yaomomo,” Uraraka agreed. “I’m sure he just wanted to spend some time with his mom.”

Momo nodded, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong.

“Welcome back ladies and gentlemen,” Present Mic shouted over the loudspeaker. “We’re just about ready to unveil the bracket for the one-on-one tournament!”

The crowd cheered in anticipation.

“That’s what I like to hear!” Present Mic laughed. “Now before we-”

A shaking boom shook the stadium as a cloud of dust erupted from the wall surrounding the field. A streak of orange and blue flew through the air, smacking into the earth. There were screams of shock and fear through the stadium. Everyone stared as the object came to a stop and they saw the prone form of Endeavor.

The number two hero crawled his way out of the gouge he’d carved into the earth as the dust settled. A hand burst out of the hole in the wall the hero had come through and grabbed hold of the edge. Izuku stepped through the hole and out into the sunlight. He was far away, but Momo could still see the angry look on his face.

“Are you kidding me?” Izuku yelled. His voice carried clear across the silenced stadium as every person there stared at him. It was the first time Momo had heard him raise his voice. The rage and fire that burned in his tone was so clear it was almost scary.

The screens turned on and displayed the scowl contorting Endeavor’s features. He spat out a mouthful of blood.

“Just who the fuck do you think you are brat?” Endeavor sneered.

A ferocious growl from behind Endeavor caused everyone to turn. Jade stalked around the number two hero. He had his fangs bared dangerously and his eyes were laser focused on the large man. The hero was pinned between Izuku and the dragon.

“I am Midoriya Izuku,” Izuku told the hero, his tone demanding everyone’s attention return to him. “I’m the person that is going to stop you.”

“You can’t do this,” Endeavor screamed. “I’m the goddamn number two hero.”

“You’re nothing but a criminal,” Izuku announced ferociously. “Abuse, assault, arrangement of a quirk marriage, and who knows what other crimes you’ve covered up. I don’t care if you are the number two hero. You will still answer for your crimes.”

There were gasps through the crowd as they heard the claims.

“Slander,” Endeavor snapped.

The screen flicked to a security video. It showed Izuku standing between Todoroki and Endeavor. He had a schooled expression on his face.

“His achievements will never be yours,” Izuku declared. He sounded so confident and sure as he said it. The context was missing, but even still the body language of everyone in the video spoke volumes.

Endeavor’s flames flared up to the point that it was nearly impossible to look at the screen. Those that managed watched as Endeavor raised back his arm to hit Izuku. Izuku’s leg snapped out so quickly that it blurred. The video paused as Endeavor was flung back into, and through, the wall.

Oh goodness. That was an actual attempted assault. That was video evidence of Endeavor publicly misusing his quirk and attacking a civilian.

Momo turned back to the field and saw Endeavor staring up at the screen still in shock. His face contorted back into one of rage as his flames flared.

“If you think you and that damn rat-”

“Endeavor!” All Might’s voice rang out from the top of the stadium. Heads couldn’t turn fast enough to see him or to follow the blue and white streak as it raced towards the field. A second dust cloud billowed up on the field.

“All Might,” Endeavor snarled. “Couldn’t help but come join this little spectacle, could you?”

“Enji that’s enough,” All Might pleaded. “You’ve tried to assault a student.”

“He put me through a wall,” Endeavor roared in reminder. Endeavor apparently had had enough. He jumped at Izuku, his flames billowing behind him and cutting off Jade and All Might from following. Endeavor reared back a flame covered fist, but Izuku was ready.

**“Letta,”** Izuku commanded.

The flame hero stopped, suspended a foot in the air, as his flames continued to blow behind him. Endeavor bellowed incomprehensibly in rage. His flames grew brighter and larger as he struggled against Izuku. But even thrashing with all his might he couldn’t move.

Izuku blurred forward. He was on Endeavor in no time at all, his fist lodged in the man’s stomach. Momo winced in sympathy at the blow as it reminded her of her own bruised abdomen. Endeavor sagged forward and the flames finally stopped.

Izuku took a step back as Endeavor crumpled to the floor. The crowd stared on in shocked silence.

“Young Midoriya?” All Might asked as he was finally able to approach. His voice was much softer, but with the silence of stadium it still carried clear over the crowd. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” Izuku nodded shortly. His voice was tense, but it sounded far calmer than it had earlier.

“Come,” All Might told him gently as he scooped Endeavor up onto his shoulder. “We’ll need to talk about what just happened.”

“Right,” Izuku sighed.

Together the two of them walked off of the field. The stadium was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop. Several thousand people all shocked into silence. It was a touch surreal. They all sat in silence and stared after them for a long time. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you guys thought down below! I finally got around to responding to all the amazing comment you guys have left on the first two chapters and I just wanted to say another thank you. Reading your comments is what makes sharing these fics as enjoyable as it is.


	4. The 1 on 1s

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The sport's festival comes to a close

The sport’s festival ended up being put on pause for the rest of the day as the whole ordeal with Endeavor was sorted. Momo returned to the dorms in a daze, confused and unsure what she was supposed to make of any of it. Izuku had yet to return. No one had even seen him since he had disappeared into the stadium with All Might.

Momo had decided to finally repay the favor for all the mornings he had served her. She was waiting for him to come through the door, a pot of tea on the stove, just waiting for her to turn it on and bring it to a boil. She imagined he could use it after the day he had had.

“Yaomomo?” a tired voice called from the stairs.

Momo turned to find a tired looking Mina rubbing sleep out of her half-lidded eyes as she made her way across the room.

“What are you doing down here?” Mina asked as she plopped down in one of the seats. “It’s like one in the morning girl.”

“Oh,” Momo breathed. She blinked, trying to process that. She hadn’t realized it had gotten so late. “I was waiting for Izuku to return.”

Mina’s eyes began to dance with excitement, all trace of her weariness from a moment ago gone, but then her eyebrows furrowed. “Wait, does he know you’re down here?” Mina asked.

“No,” Momo shook her head. “But that shouldn’t be an issue. He’ll have to come through here to get to his room.”

“Umm, Yaomomo,” Mina said as she bit her lip. “Doesn’t he normally have that dragon of his just fly him to the rooftop?”

Momo’s eyes went wide with realization. She was out of her seat in an instant. She ran to the kitchen and grabbed the cold pot of tea and sprinted up the stairs of the boy’s side of the dorms. She made it to the roof, but what she heard stopped her in place long before she could make it to Izuku’s door.

“Of course I’m angry!” Izuku screamed. His voice filled the quiet night air like an explosion and froze Momo’s feet to the rooftop. “How can you take satisfaction in this?”

Momo couldn’t think. Her breath was caught in her throat as she waited to hear someone respond.

“No,” Izuku responded shortly.

What? Was Jade responding through his strange telepathic link? Were Izuku and Jade fighting? Momo had never seen them so much as disagree before. They teased each other, but even that was always so lighthearted.

“Because he never should have been a hero in the first place,” Izuku snarled.

Momo should leave. She was intruding. That hadn’t been her goal, but she most certainly was little more than an eavesdropper at this point. Before she could so much as start to turn around Izuku’s door flung open, and there he was, frozen in the doorway, staring at her the same as she stared at him. The angry look on his face flooded away and left behind only shock.

“I-I’m sorry,” Momo stammered. She slammed down into a deep bow. She couldn’t look at him. Oh god. He’d hate her for this. She had to explain. “I didn’t mean to. I-I was bringing tea.”

“Please, stand up Momo,” Izuku said softly. All that anger that had been twisted up in his voice was gone. Momo looked up in shock, to find him looking at her with an almost sad smile and kind eyes. “I’m sorry you had to overhear that.”

“N-no,” Momo shook her head as she straightened up. “I shouldn’t have been eavesdropping.”

“I doubt that was your intent,” Izuku sighed. He sounded so tired.

“I was bringing you tea,” Momo explained as she held up the pot in her hands.

Izuku simply raised an eyebrow as he looked at her. Momo could feel the blush spreading. It _was_ awfully late to be stopping by for tea.

“That was very kind of you,” Izuku said with a small bow. “I’m afraid I was stepping out.”

“Stepping out?” Momo repeated in question. If it was late for tea, it was far too late for stepping out.

“Yes,” Izuku nodded. Then he shot a startling hot glare back into the little bungalow. “I was hoping to clear my head.”

“Are you and Jade fighting?” Momo asked, before she could think about how rude it was to intrude. She instantly wanted to take it back, but before she could Izuku was smiling at her.

“I hope not,” Izuku commented. “He’s coming with me.”

“He is?” Momo gasped. If he wasn’t fighting with Jade, then who? Could it have been the mysterious master Izuku had mentioned? Weren’t they supposed to be a dragon too? Were they in the bungalow?

_I am,_ Jade’s deep voice rumbled in her mind as the dragon came out from the curtained portal into the room.

“Where are you going to go?” Momo asked, she was still trying to catch up with this whole conversation.

“Flying,” Izuku shrugged.

“Flying!?” Momo nearly shouted. “But you don’t have a permit! Do you have a permit?”

“No,” Izuku shook his head. “But on nights as cloudy as this one no one can see us.”

Momo’s eyes shot to the sky and stared at the dense cloud cover that blanketed across the city. By the time she looked back down, Izuku was already sitting in the leather saddle that was nestled between Jade’s shoulders. He was looking down at her, with a smile that bordered on a smirk, unlike any that she had seen on his face before.

“Would you like to come with us?” he asked.

“Me?” she whispered. Was he serious? Was he really asking her to fly through the sky with him?

“Only if you’d like,” and that devious smirk was replaced with a warm smile that had Momo’s heart pounding in her chest. He offered her a hand, even with Jade crouched low as he was Izuku’s hand was still far above her reach.

“Yes,” Momo agreed in an instant. She nearly dropped the tea pot in her rush to put it down.

Jade extended his foreleg and Momo used his knee as a step to reach up and grab Izuku’s hand. He lifted her with ease and helped her behind him in the saddle.

“Here,” he instructed as he motioned to a series of loops that dangled over the side of the saddle. He reached down and slipped the loops over her ankles, securing them snuggly in place.

“What about you?” Momo asked. He wasn’t secured at all. Surely, he would fall off.

“I’ll be fine,” he chuckled, the sound light and musical in her ears. “Hold on tight.”

That was all the warning she got before Jade’s great wings rose up and with a great push launched them into the air and over the green below. The wind buffeted her violently, threatening to rip the ponytail out of her hair. She grabbed onto Izuku out of instinct, a scream sneaking out of her before she could stop it.

And then they were flying. It wasn’t the breakneck racing that she had seen from Jade before. This was gentle, almost lazy, as they spiraled upwards above the building and into the night air. Momo stared out at the city lights as they rose higher and higher. It was beautiful.

“Wow,” Momo whispered.

_I know,_ Izuku’s voice whispered back in her mind.

Momo had never heard Izuku speak in her mind before. His soft and steady tone were just the same, as if he had whispered the words into her ear.

_It gets better,_ Izuku told her.

**“Vardi nosu,”** Izuku commanded, his voice barely audible over the wind in Momo’s ears.

Then they were in the clouds themselves. Yet somehow it was warmer than the cold night air had been only moments before. The water that she knew should be clinging to her simply wasn’t. Momo knew it was Izuku, his magic protecting them, but it still amazed her.

When they broke through the other side of the clouds though, she forgot all about her earlier feelings as a new sense of wonder was born. The stars were like she had never seen them before. An infinite number of bright pin pricks against an endless sea of black.

_The clouds block out most of light pollution,_ Izuku explained. _Not all of it, but enough that you can see almost as much as back home._

Almost as much? Izuku’s home must have been something to see then.

_Indeed,_ Izuku agreed wistfully.

Momo was too enraptured to even realize that her subconscious thoughts had been read. She was too busy staring around in wonder at the beauty around her.

Jade leveled out, more gliding than flying as they soared along, barely above the line of clouds. Momo took to identifying the constellations, stars she had barely been able to see now shining bright and making it a simple task. Momo did not know how long a time passed before she stopped staring at the stars, but when she did, she instantly became aware that her arms were still wrapped around Izuku’s waist.

“S-sorry,” Momo apologized as she pulled her arms back and rested them in her lap.

She instantly missed the warmth he had provided her, but she wouldn’t be so forward as to rewrap her arms around him.

_Do not worry Momo,_ Izuku told her.

“Why are you doing that?” Momo asked. She instantly bit her tongue. She had not meant to ask such a rude question. Something about Izuku brought all of her guards down. The years of social etiquette that had been drilled into her simply falling away with them.

_It can be difficult to hear over the sound of the wind,_ Izuku explained. He looked back over his shoulder to look at her. _If you would prefer, I can switch to speaking, but your ears are not as sensitive as mine, you may struggle to hear me._

“I-its okay,” Momo stammered. She could feel the heat in her face as she said it. She was hesitant to admit how much she enjoyed hearing him in her head. She instantly scrambled for a change in topic, anything to keep from thinking about it or the fact that she was nearly pressing against his strong back as they sat in the saddle together. “S-so what were you arguing about?”

Izuku sighed and Momo cursed herself for her lack of tact. He was coming to escape that, not relive it.

_My master commended me for my assault on Endeavor,_ Izuku told her, and instantly she was confused.

Assault?

 _You see I did not need to make a spectacle of things the way I did. I did not need to kick him through the wall or knock him out with a punch._ He looked at his hand in front of him as he brought forth a simple flame without so much as a whisper. _I was angry. I lashed out. My master does not see the issue._

“Oh,” Momo murmured. She hadn’t seen it that way. She had seen it as him protecting himself. Something he had done commendably.

 _I was still angry,_ Izuku admitted with a sigh of his actual body. _I lashed out at Saphira as well. I owe her an apology._

“It’s okay to be angry,” Momo whispered.

Izuku’s shoulders began to shake in front of her. For a moment Momo was unsure what was happening, but then a soft laughter filled her mind. Momo was practically speechless. His laugh had always been musical, but hearing it bounce around the inside of her own head it was like a symphony.

_Yes, I suppose it is,_ Izuku relented. _But it does not excuse a lack of control._

Momo didn’t really know what else to say. She sat back in the saddle and looked out once again, lost in the sea of her own mind as well as the sea of clouds they flew above.

_Yaoyorozu,_ the deep rumble of Jade called within her mind.

“Yes Jade?”

_I recall you seemed familiar with a sword,_ he commented.

“Yes,” Momo confirmed with a nod, though she realized the dragon would be unable to see it.

_Izuku needs a sparring partner,_ Jade told her. It was in an almost off hand way, a passing thought, but Jade had only spoken to Momo directly a handful of times. So why this?

“I doubt I would be a very helpful partner,” Momo told him with a shake of her head, both in denial and to clear away the wandering line of thought. “Izuku bested me in a matter of seconds when we crossed blades.”

_That was a matter of physicality,_ Izuku explained. _Jade is correct that a sparring partner would be useful. Our match is the only practice match I’ve ever had against an opponent. I would of course not use my strength or speed as I did in our first match if we were to spar more regularly._

“Would it even be useful then?” Momo asked uncertainly. Surely if he were holding back then he wouldn’t be gaining anything.

_I imagine so,_ Izuku nodded. _More so than the repetition of forms I am currently trapped in. You do not need to decide now. Think on it, and if you accept then we can go from there._

 _It is time we return,_ Jade told them. _The clouds are beginning to disperse._

Izuku sighed. Momo too felt disappointed to leave behind such a beautiful world and return to the mundane earth to which she was normally bound.

_Jade,_ Izuku said, it sounded like a warning, his whole body had tensed while Momo was distracted with her own thoughts.

_Hold on tight,_ Jade commanded, and Momo could hear the grin in his voice.

The world suddenly turned upside down as Jade entered a lazy loop in the air. Momo squeaked in terror and grabbed tight onto Izuku once again. There was a split second of perfect stillness as they reached the apex of the loop, and then the world blurred. Jade twisted right side up as he rocketed through the night sky. Momo never let go.

***

“Welcome back ladies and gentlemen!” Present Mic called through the speakers of the stadium. “After all of yesterday’s excitement who’s ready to finally see these young heroes in training go head-to-head!”

The crowd roared in response, louder than ever before. Apparently, they had come back with renewed vigor.

“You’ve waited long enough,” Present Mic shouted over the noise. “Let’s go ahead and show you the bracket for the final round!”

Izuku looked up to the screen and found a standard tournament bracket being displayed. He was in the first round against someone named Monoma. He wasn’t sure who that was, but he figured he better go and get ready. He stood from the designated 1-A seats and began making his way to the field.

“Good luck Izuku,” Momo told him as he was leaving.

“To you as well Momo,” Izuku returned with a smile.

As Izuku walked through the concrete passageways of the stadium he listened to the echoed roars of the crowd and wondered about today. He had been considering dropping out, all things considered. He hadn’t seen the point after yesterday. But Momo had reminded him of why he needed to be down on that field, even if she didn’t know it. He needed to prove to the world that he was more than unbridled strength and fury.

_I think you just liked the way her arms felt around you,_ Jade teased.

Izuku did his best not to react as he walked out of the tunnel and onto the grass of the field. At the center of the field was a concrete platform that would be their sparring ring. Izuku approached calmly, climbing the steps as the crowd cheered.

“Here we have him folks,” Present Mic called. “The man of the hour, Midoriya Izuku!”

The crowd again went wild. Izuku looked around. He wondered what box his mom and Toshi were in. She had cried for hours yesterday after it was all said and done, but she had promised she was coming again.

“And his opponent,” Present Mic’s announcement rang out, cutting off Izuku’s musings. “The copy master himself, Monoma Neito!”

Izuku’s eyes narrowed as he recognized the boy across the platform from him. It was the blond boy who had accosted them outside the classroom the other day. After everything else he’d been through since then most of Izuku’s anger about it was gone, though he was still left with a dislike of the boy.

“Alright,” Midnight called with a crack of her whip. “The rules are simple. You win by ring out, knock out, or submission. Anything goes, but if you take it too far, I will step in. Now do you both understand the rules.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Izuku nodded.

“Sure,” Monoma shrugged.

_Careful with this one,_ Jade hummed. He was watching from the edge of the field today, relaxing in the sun and sprawled in the grass. _He’s got something up his sleeve._

Izuku just internally rolled his eyes. _Would you like to come fight him?_ Izuku asked.

_No,_ Jade laughed. _I have complete faith in you._

Izuku just shook his head.

“Begin,” Midnight called with another crack of her whip.

Monoma instantly took off at a dead sprint straight towards Izuku. Izuku blinked in surprise. He’d been expecting an emitter quirk with the attitude. As Monoma reached Izuku he extended a hand to grab at him, much the same way Uraraka always did. So just the same, Izuku smacked Monoma’s wrist and diverted his hand away.

“Ha!” Monoma exclaimed as he leapt back. So, it was skin contact and not in his palms. “Now I have your quirk you fool!”

Izuku tilted his head in curiosity. His quirk? Did that mean he had one.

“Cocky assholes like you always think their quirks make them so special,” Monoma spat. Then his face twisted in confusion. “Wait, why didn’t I get it? What did you do?”

Izuku sighed. So, he really didn’t have a quirk. What a time and place to have that finally confirmed.

Monoma screamed in rage as he leapt towards Izuku again. This time Izuku grabbed the boy’s wrist. He quickly swept his ankle, spinning him in the air and pinning him with his arm twisted behind him.

“Damn it,” Monoma cursed, the words distorted as his face was pressed into the ground. “I can’t lose to you 1-A assholes.”

Izuku realized to late what he was doing. Monoma ripped himself forward, trying to tear himself out of Izuku’s grasp. He only succeeded in dislocating his shoulder. His scream of pain rang through the stadium and sent ice through Izuku’s veins.

“Monoma, can you move?” Midnight called.

Monoma panted for a moment before quickly shaking his head.

Midnight cracked her whip. “Monoma Neito is unable to move. Midoriya Izuku wins!” she announced.

Izuku instantly released Monoma. He felt a pang of sympathy for him as his arm hit the ground and he flinched in pain.

“I’m sorry about your shoulder,” Izuku told him with a bow as Monoma stood up.

“What?” Monoma asked through his teeth, face contorted with pain.

“I did not imagine you would fight against the hold. I can heal it if you like,” Izuku offered.

“And what? That’s supposed to make us all peachy?” Monoma asked hotly.

Izuku shrugged. “I merely wished to correct a wrong,” he explained.

“Fine,” Monoma spat.

Izuku stepped forward and placed a hand on Monoma’s shoulder. **“Heal,”** he commanded.

He felt the joint pop back into its socket beneath his hand and was pleased to watch the pain melt away from Monoma’s features.

Izuku stepped back once the healing was done and gave a small bow. He left without another word.

***

Izuku watched from the stands as his classmates battled each other. It was a rather intense spectacle, but all things considered it progressed perhaps predictably.

Todoroki froze Sero in place, though it was with a much more controlled burst of ice than Izuku had expected. Iida was toyed with by the support department girl until her time was up and she stepped out of bounds. Mina avoided Aoyama’s laser and got in close enough to knock him out with a single punch. Momo produced a bright light and reduced Dark Shadow to little more than a songbird before shoving Tokoyami out of bounds. Shinso called out to Shiozaki and when she responded sent her walking herself out of the ring. Kirishima and Tetsutetsu entered a battle of attrition that Kirishima managed to win by the skin of his teeth. Uraraka grabbed Kendo’s enlarged hand and threw her weightless opponent directly out of bounds.

Izuku made his way back down to the field and faced off against Todoroki. Todoroki was staring at him, but it wasn’t the same hostile stare he had been directing his way all of yesterday. It was filled with much more curiosity and perhaps confusion this time, his face neutral as his eyes danced with emotion.

“You both know the rules now,” Midnight called to them. “Are both competitors ready?”

“Yes ma’am,” Izuku nodded.

“Yes,” Todoroki responded shortly.

“Then begin!” Midnight decreed with another crack of her whip.

Izuku decided to wait and see what Todoroki was planning. As a result, the two of them stood there starring at each other for a moment, neither moving to begin the fight.

“I haven’t gotten to speak to you since yesterday,” Todoroki commented.

“Was there something on your mind?” Izuku asked curiously.

“Why did you do it?” Todoroki asked him. “Why did you stand up to him?”

“Because it was the right thing to do,” Izuku answered without hesitation.

Todoroki stared at him again, his eyebrows furrowing as he stared. “You’re a strange person Midoriya.”

With that Todoroki turned and walked out of the ring, leaving Izuku thoroughly confused.

“Todoroki has left the ring, Midoriya wins!” Midnight declared.

***

Izuku was still thinking over his strange match with Todoroki as he returned to the stands. The whole thing was weird.

“Congratulations Midoriya!” Uraraka cheered as he sat down in the seat beside her.

“Thank you,” Izuku said with a bow of his head. He took a moment to look around for Momo.

“Looking for Yaomomo?” Uraraka asked.

Izuku gave a single nod, really hopping he was hiding any hint of a blush that threatened to show itself at how easily he was read.

“She went down to the locker room to prepare for her next match already,” Uraraka explained.

“And in a burst of speed Iida has pushed Ashido directly out of bounds!” Present Mic called.

Izuku looked back to the field to find Iida helping back up a disappointed looking Mina.

“That was quick,” Uraraka laughed.

Izuku could only nod. The whole tournament seemed to be whipping by at breakneck speeds.

“Young Midoriya,” the familiar voice of Toshi called. Izuku turned to find Toshi standing at the entrance to their section. “May I have a word with you?”

“Sure,” Izuku nodded.

He ignored the stares of his classmates as he followed All Might out into the passageway. It was empty back here; the general public not being allowed in order to keep the students from getting overwhelmed and delayed.

Toshi laid a hand on Izuku’s shoulder.

“Are you all right my boy?” Toshi asked. He had a concerned look on his face as he looked down at Izuku.

Izuku nodded. “Yes, I’m fine Toshi,” he assured him. “I’ve calmed down now.”

“That’s good,” Toshi sighed. “Last time I saw you that upset Jade threw me at the faculty.”

“Sorry about that,” Izuku said with a small chuckle as he scratched nervously at the back of his head. He didn’t necessarily regret calling out the staff, but he’d been rude to Toshi, and that wasn’t really fair to him.

“Not at all my boy,” Toshi waved him off. “I was actually hoping to get the chance to speak with you once this was all said and done.”

“Okay,” Izuku nodded. “Is it about anything in particular?”

“Just an idea I had,” Toshi told him.

“Okay,” Izuku agreed again.

“Just stop by the teacher’s lounge after the awards ceremony,” Toshi instructed. “I’ll meet you there.”

***

Momo had managed to defeat Shinso by the time Izuku had returned to his seat. Uraraka was already in the middle of throwing a weightless Kirishima out of the ring, so Izuku decided to simply head straight down to the ring lest he miss his match. It was a smart decision, as he made it right as Present Mic was calling for both him and Iida.

Izuku walked out onto the field. He and Iida watched each other as they approached, neither’s eyes going to the crowd that cheered around them.

“I’m sorry Midoriya,” Iida called as they walked up the concrete steps. “I’m afraid I must make my brother proud. I will not be losing.”

“I will also be giving it my all,” Izuku promised.

“Good,” Iida commended with a stern nod.

“Competitors, are you ready?” Midnight called.

“Yes ma’am,” Izuku and Iida nodded at the same time.

“Then begin,” Midnight called with a crack of her whip.

“Recipro burst!” Iida cried.

Blue flames burst from his calves as he streaked forward. Izuku was prepared for speed, but it was still surprising to have Iida moving so quickly towards him. As he got near, Iida extended his hands to grab Izuku’s shoulders, but Izuku simply ducked beneath them, throwing himself to the floor and sweeping Iida’s feet out from under him.

Iida hit the concrete hard, his momentum sliding him along and causing him to tumble. He didn’t stop until he was far past the line and hit the wall of the stadium.

“Iida is out of bounds. Midoriya wins!” Midnight announced.

Izuku stepped out of the ring, but by the time he reached Iida he was already standing.

“Your reaction time was better than I thought,” Iida sighed. He seemed disappointed, though Izuku couldn’t really blame him.

“It was a good strategy, but perhaps a little dangerous given the narrow nature of the ring,” Izuku said as he and Iida exchanged small bows.

“Indeed,” Iida agreed as they turned and walked back into the stadium. “Will you be returning to the student section?”

“No,” Izuku shook his head. “I doubt I would have much time and I’d rather watch the next match. I will remain here.”

“Very well Midoriya,” Iida said with another bow. “Good luck in the finals.”

With that Iida left and Izuku was left alone as he stared out at the stadium. He wondered about the final and who would win. Momo was a versatile fighter, but Uraraka simply needed a single touch to claim victory.

“Izuku?” a voice called from behind him.

Izuku turned and found Momo standing in the dark passageway behind him. She looked just the same as she had this morning. It seemed the matches weren’t giving her too much trouble at least.

“Hello Momo,” Izuku greeted her.

“What are you doing down here?” she asked.

“I wanted to watch your match,” Izuku confessed. “I hadn’t considered that you would be needing to use this exit. I hope it isn’t a bother.”

“No, of course not,” Momo shook her head.

Present Mic was calling for her and Uraraka to come to the ring now.

“I wish you the best of luck in your match,” Izuku offered with a small smile.

“Thank you,” Momo bowed.

Then she was gone, rushed past him and onto the field. Izuku blinked in surprise at the hasty exit, and then blinked again as the soft scent of lavender lingered in the air. He could feel Jade sigh at him.

Then the match started, and Izuku’s attention was elsewhere.

Uraraka was rushing at Momo as quickly as she could, but the light of Momo’s creation was already strong. By the time Uraraka made it halfway across the field Momo had a strange metal gun in her hands, wires running from the back of it to her skin. When Momo pulled the trigger a jet of pure fire launched from the gun and sprayed a line between the two. Uraraka stopped dead in her tracks. Momo slowly advanced, continuing the jet of flame and driving Uraraka backwards.

In a bold move, just before she was driven completely out of bounds Uraraka used her quirk on herself and leapt into the air, aiming to make it over the flames and to Momo’s side of the ring. The moment she did Momo dropped the flame thrower and her quirk lit up across her skin again. She pulled a shotgun from her arm and took quick aim at Uraraka. Uraraka began to squirm in the air, but she couldn’t drop her quirk over the fire that raged below her. A single shot rang out and Uraraka was sent flying out of the ring and into the stands.

“Uraraka is out of bounds, Yaoyorozu wins!” Midnight announced.

Momo sighed in relief, sagging a little before rising back up and standing tall. She looked to the audience and gave a single nod before making her way back to the entrance Izuku stood at.

“Congratulations,” Izuku greeted her as she entered the shadows of the passageway.

“Thank you,” she nodded. “Now all that’s left is the final.”

“I suppose.”

“How long do you think they’ll give us?” Momo asked.

“While normally we would give our finalists a break,” Present Mic’s voice came over the speaker as if he had heard her question. “This year we still have the second years’ sport’s festival after this, so if Midoriya and Yaoyorozu could please make their way to the stage, we’ll go ahead with our final match.”

“Oh,” Momo murmured.

Izuku just shrugged and turned and headed out to the field. Momo was right beside him as they walked across the green and up the concrete steps for the last time.

Izuku walked across the concrete platform to the other side, the flames having died out as they burned away their fuel and leaving little but scorches on the concrete behind. He turned and faced his opponent, and they exchanged bows.

“Are both competitors ready?” Midnight asked.

“Yes,” they both acknowledged.

“Then begin!”

Izuku instantly moved. Leaving Momo time to create and plan was a sure-fire way to lose. So instead, he sprinted across the ring. He was on her in seconds, but it still wasn’t quick enough. She slashed at him with a short sword and forced him to jump back and out of her range.

“Why are you holding back?” Momo asked as she began a full-frontal assault, Izuku dodging her blade as he backpedaled.

“What do you mean?” Izuku asked.

“You could have ended this in an instant with your magic,” Momo explained.

“True,” Izuku agreed. “Though that hardly seems fair to anyone else. Everyone wants to display their abilities and I don’t want to be the one to stop them.”

“Don’t you want to do the same?” Momo asked him as she sliced for his ankles.

“Didn’t I yesterday?” he countered as he leapt over her attack.

Momo’s brow furrowed. Then the glow of creation lit up her arms. Izuku leapt backwards and away from the potential attack, flying halfway across the ring.

Momo pulled another short sword from her arm and threw it at him. It clattered to the floor not ten feet in front of him.

“Fine,” she huffed. “Then how about you show them something else?”

Izuku stared at the sword, and for a moment he wondered if it was a trap. It was an incredibly clever one if it was. Izuku stepped forward, but Momo simply waited for him on the other side of the ring. He picked up the blade and found that while it was a touch front heavy it was still a fairly well-made sword.

Before Izuku could consider much else Momo was upon him and that was all he could focus on. Izuku raised his sword and the clang of metal on metal marked the match’s second round. This time Izuku could do more than dodge. He and Momo exchanged blows, catching or deflecting each of their opponent’s before countering with a blow of their own.

Momo proved Izuku’s point from last night. With each attack Izuku realized how much more comfortable she was than him in an actual fight. She adapted her strategy and tested his defenses. Izuku met her blade each time, but he learned as he did. Her adaptability and tenacity made her formidable.

Momo huffed as she leapt backwards, but Izuku stayed close. He wasn’t going to let her create. She had asked for a sword fight, and he would finish it as such. The light of creation lit up Momo’s forearms. Izuku swung the sword faster than earlier and rapped the flat of his blade into her knee.

Momo cried out in pain as she fell to her knees. Izuku brought the tip of his sword to rest at the base of her throat.

They were both panting as they stared at each other.

“Yield,” Izuku commanded.

Momo’s eyebrow twitched before she gave him a small smile.

“I yield,” Momo called loud and clear.

“Yaoyorozu has yielded, Midoriya wins!” Midnight called and reminded Izuku that he was surrounded by an audience on all sides. The roaring of the crowd, which before had faded into the background was front and center to Izuku now.

Izuku pulled his blade from Momo’s throat and offered his hand in its stead. She accepted it with a smile and then raised his hand as she faced the audience. The audience reacted with a great roar of approval. Present Mic’s announcements were lost in the uproar.

***

The medal ceremony had gone without a hitch. Izuku’s gold medal still hung around his neck as he arrived at the teachers lounge. He could sense Toshi inside all alone, but he knocked all the same.

“Come in,” Toshi called.

Izuku opened to find a pretty generic office space with a number of desks and a pair of couches beside a small counter space. Toshi was already sitting on one of the couches, with a pair of soda bottles on the table in front of him. Toshi motioned for him to sit and Izuku complied, though he was hesitant to drink the soda.

“Thank you for meeting with me my boy,” Toshi sighed as he took a sip of his soda.

“Of course,” Izuku nodded. “How was your date?”

“It was good,” Toshi told him off handedly. Izuku watched as the realization of what he said hit him. Instantly he began to blush and scratch at the back of his head. “Well, I mean, of course, perhaps I should have asked, but then again-”

“Toshi,” Izuku cut him off with a laugh. “I’m glad it was good.”

“Ahem,” Toshi cleared his throat and sat back up. “Yes. Your mother is a lovely woman.”

“Now what did you want to talk about?” Izuku asked, sparing the hero any further discomfort.

“Ah, yes,” Toshi nodded, his somber attitude returning. “You see my boy I’ve been thinking on something for some time. Do you remember what I said when we spoke with your master, after she told us of your duty?”

“You said I could be a symbol,” Izuku nodded.

“Yes,” Toshi nodded. He looked down at his hands, palms up in his lap. “I once thought the same about myself. I became a hero to be a symbol of the peace I wanted to bring about in society.”

Toshi raised a single fist before him. “And now I want to ask you to continue that legacy,” he told Izuku. He looked up, and there was a large grin on his face. “I want you to inherit my quirk.”

Izuku sat there and thought through what Toshi had said. Never mind that it didn’t make sense, he knew Toshi wouldn’t lie about this. So instead Izuku was left trying to decide what to say.

_You could accept it,_ Jade offered, but he knew Izuku’s heart. Just as Izuku knew his in turn. Jade wanted Izuku to be safe, but Izuku had other concerns.

“No,” Izuku shook his head, answering both of them. “I could never accept.”

“What?” Toshi gasped.

Izuku looked him in the eye. He was sure in this. “Toshi, I took down the number two hero with a single punch,” he reasoned.

“Because you found out he was a criminal,” Toshi exclaimed, he sounded almost offended.

“I’m not saying I was wrong to do it,” Izuku shook his head. “I’m asking if I was the one who needed to be stopped, if Jade and I decided that society was irredeemable and needed to be destroyed, who could stop us?”

“But you would never do that!” Toshi argued. He sounded angry, offended even that Izuku would suggest it.

“Toshi,” Izuku sighed. “Jade and I will persist long beyond this day and age.”

“What?” Toshi gasped.

Izuku raised a questioning eyebrow. “Did Nedzu not tell you?” Izuku asked. “I am ageless through my bond with Jade.”

Toshi sputtered in shock, but he only stared wide eyed at Izuku.

“In five hundred years I may not be the man I am today,” Izuku continued. “I would like to have faith that I will remain just and righteous, but I cannot know that. And so, I will not accept your quirk, because I believe that _you_ are my check. _You_ are the one who would be there to stop me. And if you’re saying that you can pass on your strength, I ask that you find someone else.”

Toshi stared at Izuku for a long moment before he responded. When he finally did, he seemed resolved, something Izuku was happy to see.

“Very well,” Toshi nodded. “I commend you Izuku. You continue to surprise me.”

“Who else are you considering?” Izuku asked.

“No one,” Toshi sighed. Izuku scowled at hearing that. “Now don’t give me that. I’m not going anywhere anytime soon. This is important. I need to be sure.”

“Well okay then,” Izuku nodded. “Was there anything else?”

“No my boy,” Toshi shook his head. “So, what do you say we go find your mother. We can treat her to a real Lunch Rush meal before she leaves.”

“Alright,” Izuku agreed with a smile.

Before they could get up, Toshi’s phone began loudly ringing, his own voice declaring that ‘a phone call is here!’

Toshi pulled it out and answered with a quick “Hello?”

Izuku waited, watching as Toshi’s face grew paler and paler.

“I’ll be there as quickly as possible,” he promised.

Toshi hung up and looked like he was ready to book it out of the room at top speed. Then, as if he had only just remembered him, his head snapped to Izuku.

“Toshi?”

“I need you to come with me to Hosu.”

***

Izuku slid out of Jade’s saddle before the doors to Hosu General Hospital. Toshi landed not half a moment later.

“Come on,” Toshi instructed.

He led Izuku inside where they were met by the detective who had taken their statements after the USJ incident.

“How is he Tsukauchi?” Toshi asked as they began making their way through the halls.

“He’s stable,” Tsukauchi responded, but his voice sounded grim. “He still hasn’t woken up. He’s the first victim in the area. We don’t even know if Stain is responsible, but it fits too well for me to think otherwise.”

“Stain?” Izuku asked.

“He’s a serial killer,” Tsukauchi answered automatically. He turned and looked at Izuku, before turning to Toshi with a raised eyebrow.

“He can help,” Toshi told him, his voice was still tight.

Tsukauchi sighed and opened the door to a room filled with medical equipment. Laying in the bed, connected to a nearly impossible amount of medical equipment, was a strangely familiar looking blue haired man. Familiar, because Izuku would have sworn it was Iida, if not for the fact that Iida was sitting at the bedside looking like he had run all the way here.

“M-Midoriya, All Might,” Iida greeted them, his voice was hoarse.

“Young Iida,” Toshi greeted gently as he walked into the room. He stood beside Iida and put a hand on his shoulder as he looked down at the man in the bed. “I came as soon as I heard.”

“T-thank you,” Iida nodded. “I only just arrived.”

“Iida who is this?” Izuku asked as he approached the bed. The man was less a mirror image of Iida up close, but the resemblance was still undeniable.

“He’s my brother, the hero Ingenium,” Iida explained.

Izuku hadn’t heard of him, but he could still feel for his classmate. Izuku did his best not to scowl. Toshi had said he could help, but this was a hospital. He couldn’t do much here.

“Don’t worry Iida,” Toshi assured him. “I promise you, we’ll catch whoever did this. And we’ll make sure your brother walks out of here.”

“Toshi,” Izuku snapped.

“You can do this Izuku,” Toshi assured him.

“It’s illegal,” Izuku hissed. “You think I wouldn’t spend every day in hospitals if it were that easy?”

“Ah, but _I_ am here,” Toshi announced proudly as he thrust his thumb at his chest. “And I otherize you to act on the best interest of the heroics commission.”

Izuku continued to glare at Toshi. “It can’t be that easy,” Izuku huffed. He turned to Tsukauchi, who gave a confused shrug in response.

“P-please Midoriya,” Iida begged. Izuku turned back to find his classmate in a perfect ninety-degree bow, the sheets below his bowed head wet with fresh flowing tears. “Please save my brother!”

Izuku’s heart broke watching Iida. He reached across the bed and put a hand on his shoulder. “I’ll do what I can,” he promised.

Izuku went to the end of the bed and picked up the clipboard. It was bullet point basics of the prognosis. The major cause of trauma was a stab to the base of the spine. The spinal cord had been cleanly severed. The large intestine had been punctured as well. That was the cause of the major health issues. The leakage from the large intestine had turned the wound septic.

Izuku closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Repairing the damage to the body would be easy enough. But an infection of this magnitude could prove difficult. Saphira had taught him how, but he’d never done it before.

_You can do this,_ Jade assured him. _The energy requirement won’t be high. Just focus. It will be over soon._

Izuku nodded. He returned to the side of the bed and held a hand over Ingenium’s body. The burning energy of magic filled Izuku as he prepared himself.

**“Heal,”** he commanded.

There was no need for a song here. Ten seconds and the spell would work, or it wouldn’t. Izuku could not see the damage. He had no way of knowing if his spell was working besides the drain in his energy reserves. And then, the spell had run to completion.

Izuku took a deep breath and stepped back. There was a silence in the room as Izuku waited for anything to happen.

“Is that it?” Toshi asked after a moment. “I thought it would take longer.”

“It’s easier when I’m not regrowing stomachs,” Izuku huffed.

“Well, it’s good to know at least I didn’t lose my stomach,” a weak voice joked.

Everyone turned to the hero lying in the bed, who smiled shakily behind his oxygen mask.

“Brother!” Iida screamed and threw himself at the hero.

Izuku sighed in relief seeing that it had worked.

_Always so quick to doubt yourself little warrior,_ Jade huffed.

Izuku remained silent, watching the good he had brought to this once dark room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, please leave comments if you like the chapter! I love reading your thoughts and predictions.


End file.
